Let's Be Friends
by Thegoh
Summary: Ritsu and Mio have been close friends for a long while. So long, that their deepest emotions are intricately tied with one another's. They've shared much, seen much, and been through much. So, how much is too much if they try to face the more amorous side to their hearts? When is "platonic" no longer so? A Mitsu-centric fic, with dashes of YuiAzu.
1. A Sick Day

**Hey all, Thegoh here. Here's something that I have been wanting to write while I planned out Lights of Shiloh. Currently, I'm still running into some issues with Lights of Shiloh, so it may be awhile before I can update it. So, in the meantime, here's another Mitsu.**

**As usual, thank you all who have read my stories! Your support is very encouraging!**

* * *

Mio glanced around at the windows as she stopped at the top of the stairs, chewing her bottom lip and fidgeting with her hands. She was at the second floor of the main classroom block of the school, where the second year classrooms were. Just minutes ago, she had gone up the flight of stairs in huffed anger; determined to try to settle things once and for all when she reached her destination.

However, now that she had reached where she wanted to go, Mio found herself very nervous, all the fire in her completely drained. It was not because she felt out of place; Mio was also a second year student, it was just that her classroom, unlike the others, was located on the first floor along with the first year classrooms. No, she felt extremely uneasy because of what she had come up here for.

She had come up here to see if Ritsu was in school.

It had been three days since she and Ritsu had yelled at each other in clubroom. Mio felt royally stupid; of all the things that they could have yelled about, they were arguing because of Nodoka. The girl barely had anything to do with them, besides being the occasional guest in their clubroom and giving their otherwise lazy president a little push. But Ritsu had to be stupid, she had to drag in Mio's friendship with Nodoka and tried to turn it into a huge fuss, making everyone worried and miserable. Thanks to that little incident, everyone had been unable to have proper practice, and were growing increasingly worried for the duo.

* * *

"So… Ritsu-sempai didn't come today either huh…." Azusa sighed, shoulders sagging as she stared absently at her own teacup. She glanced around the table, searching the eyes of all her band mates, but all came up empty. Hell, most weren't even making eye contact with one another. Azusa rested her chin on her palms, brows furrowed and mouth in a pout. There had to be something she could do, the school festival was coming up soon!

They needed to practice, they needed their drummer back. This mess had to be cleaned up, the sooner the better. But seeing her sempais like this, Azusa just found herself hitting a brick wall. This grim demeanor that hung on their shoulders, it did not suit them at all.

Yui was still eating her cake, but with a lot less vigour.

_Mugi-chan's cake is always good, but it somehow just doesn't taste right… _Yui thought to herself. Her tea had been left untouched as her mind raced.

_Maybe I can talk to Ricchan. No… I don't know what to say to her. Maybe Mugi-chan? _Yui turned up to look at her blonde haired friend; but Mugi merely shook her head.

_So she doesn't have a plan huh… _Yui let out a small sigh. She wanted her captain back; it just was not right for everyone to be so sad. It wasn't just wrong; it was downright painful to watch.

Sawako simply sat in silence and sipped her tea, quietly gathering her own thoughts. The girls had just explained what had caused Ritsu's apparent absence from club activities to her. While she felt that that was no excuse for such irresponsibility, her heart did sting a little when she heard about what had happened.

"Well if that's the case it's simple isn't it?" she chirped. The others turned to her, their eyes hopeful; it seemed that Sawako could save the day.

"Ricchan is like this because Mio was being all cold to her right? So," she raised an arm and shot a pointed index finger, "Mio! Become Ricchan's toy for a day!" she barked.

_You can't be serious._ Mio put her hand to her head, mental gears turning to process her haphazard thoughts. _She just needs time to cool off… she'll be fine after that… she always would be._ Yet something stirred in her gut as she thought that. Looking down at the empty seat in front of her, she felt the weight on her shoulders grow, and her chest tightened as her brain decided to replay the argument in her head.

"At this rate… what will happen to our concert during the school festival?" Azusa asked feebly, hoping that perhaps stating the urgency of the matter would miraculously form a solution. The concert was coming very soon; there had to be something they could do to rectify this mess. _It would be downright irresponsible and impossible to just call it off. You can't possibly tell the school committee "Oh, the Light Music Club can't perform that day, our drummer's pissed off ya see?" _The rhythm guitarist turned her eyes to Mio; if there was anyone who could have a solution, it would be her.

Azusa was frustrated; after all, this was to be her first concert with her seniors, but her excitement just had to be shattered by this fight. _A rather trivial and shallow fight too. _She wanted Ritsu to come back, she wanted the band to be like it always was, she wanted to perform. All things considered, this really was not the time for such matters to affect them.

At first, she felt that Ritsu should have at least tried to put the issue aside and prepare for the concert, but after thinking about it, she realized that it was not going to be an easy move for her. Experience told Azusa that in order for the band to play well, the mental state of each of its members should be in sync with one another's before their music could be. Any disturbance to a musician's mental state often means that they cannot concentrate and play well, if Yui's constant screw-ups during practice weren't already a clear indication of that.

While it is possible to shelve one's emotions aside and focus on the task at hand, Azusa realized that such a feat was usually only done by professionals; people whose livelihoods depended on their concentration during a concert. Even then, history has shown her that many professional musicians weren't able to actually pull it off well. _So, what more for a bunch of 15 to 16 year olds like us? Still, doesn't Ritsu-senpai care about our concert at all? This was already the third day… _The pig-tailed girl sighed; she never would have guessed that her loud-mouthed senior was this sensitive.

Mio looked at her fellow band mates, all having gone silent at Azusa's question. Such postulating and worrying would do them no good, and Azusa was right; the concert was a matter that they needed to settle.

"Let's practice." Mio said with a tone of finality, rising from her seat. They were wasting time sitting around like this; Ritsu was not going to come today for sure, so better to just clock in some practice instead of waiting.

"Eh? Without Ricchan?" Yui asked in slight disbelief.

"What other choice do we have?" Mio retorted, part of her daring Yui to think of a better idea. _The concert, that idiot Ritsu… ugh. This just sucks. _Yui sank back into her seat. It seemed cruel and dismissive, but Yui realized that Mio had a point.

As much as it was not the time for such thoughts, Sawako allowed her mind to drift a little. She sighed a little as she watched Mugi, of all people, adamantly decide that she would wait for Ritsu to return in response to her suggesting they look for a replacement. It was the gift of youth, Sawako mused, to be able to see such a close friendship between these girls. While she could not deny that Ritsu must have been hurt and that the rest were clearly worried, she could not help but feel a sense of nostalgia from looking at the girls before her. It was a portrayal of the real existence of a much simpler time, when friendship was the precious thing everyone – almost everyone – would choose to guard above all else, when the only thing Sawako needed to truly fret over was how to escape her teacher's punishments.

Sawako turned her gaze to Mio, who had not moved an inch from where she was, deep in thought. For someone as painfully shy and reserved as she was, Mio certainly had quite the temper when triggered, not to mention the fact that she was also rather prideful at times, like now. _Come on Mio, swallow that pride of yours and go apologise to Ritsu, it's really that simple. She may be rash and a little hot-headed, but she isn't stupid enough to hold a grudge, especially against you. Can't you see that Mio? _Mio's eyebrows were locked in a frown as she tried to evade that sinking feeling in her chest and find a way out; she blamed the fact that she was split from the rest of the club members and placed in a different class, she blamed Ritsu's idiocy, and she blamed herself for losing it that day.

The tone of Ritsu's voice then, it really set something off in her. She remembered the fire rising in her chest and her blood slowly boiling when Ritsu had said that, after relentlessly badgering her for days and wasting everyone's time when it was the drummer herself who had called everyone up to the music room to practice.

"Oh? Sorry then, for interrupting your _precious_ lunchtime with Nodoka." Ritsu had said, spite and anger clear in her tone of voice as her eyes narrowed while they turned to fix on Mio's, her body tensed and back straight, attempting to size the taller girl up. Something about that expression, that kind of tone, her body language, and all its implications had pushed Mio over the edge, and royally pissed her off.

She usually held back the extent of her outbursts when around the members of the Light Music Club, limiting herself to just punching Ritsu in the head and the occasional yell, all masked behind playful – or frustrated – banter; it was unfair for her friends to have to deal with some of the issues between Ritsu and herself. Even old spouses still had trouble with one another, and much less so between the two high school girls.

But this, this was too much even for Ritsu, and Mio could barely suppress the trembles she felt as the fire rose to her throat, causing her fingers to curl tighter and tighter around the neck of her bass. Ritsu was being childish, irresponsible and stupid; and yes, Mio knew that the Ritsu she was dealing with was undeniably jealous. Ritsu had always been a little possessive of Mio, for the bassist was really the only close friend she had as they grew up together.

In exchange for the ever present company of the drummer and her occasional words of wisdom and comfort, she willingly tolerated the antics and childish behaviour that she used to mask her insecurities.

Yet, despite all the knowledge of this, Mio felt that Ritsu had gone too far by dragging the club members and Nodoka into this retarded fight. The fire in her flared hotly, and Mio was determined to shut the drummer up and put her in her place.

"I never said that did I?!" Mio shouted back, giving Ritsu a sharp, heated stare. Ritsu returned with a glare of equal intensity, and Mio swore that for a moment, she felt a tinge of betrayal sweep across her childhood friend's face. But she could not react to it; her anger and frustration was all that her mind could pay attention to at that moment.

The drummer and bassist were locked in a glaring match, and the tension in the room escalated rapidly as the two girls stared each other down, rage clear in their eyes and bodies tensed as they each tried to mentally dominate the other. It took Azusa's desperate beg and the quick move of slipping on her cat ears to finally break the angry spell that had overshadowed the two. And no sooner had they begun to practice, Ritsu claimed to not be feeling well and promptly left the rest of the club members in her wake, promising to return after school.

The nerve of that girl!

But when Ritsu did not show up after lessons or at school the next day, Mio felt her anger transform in to worry and heavy guilt. The moment Azusa had broken them out of their anger, guilt immediately flooded her mind and had remained there ever since. _Perhaps I also went too far, yelling at her like that in public. I haven't even bothered to speak with her as well… _Ritsu's absence from the club had really dampened everyone's mood, and seeing everyone in an emotional slump made her feel even worse.

* * *

Which was why she had mustered up the nerve to go and find Ritsu today, so that she could make up with her and set things right. While she definitely still felt that Ritsu was being dumb for throwing a tantrum like that, Mio could not deny that it was also partially because she had hurt her, and rather badly as well. After all, when she shouted right back at her, Mio's words had held a tangible amount of animosity, and the undertones had hit Ritsu right in her sore spot.

Mio knew all this, which was why the guilt continued to ravage her mind after she finally realized and came to terms with the implications behind her words.

Stepping towards the back door of the classroom, Mio felt herself shudder. If Ritsu was in school, how then would Mio react to her? Surely she could not just walk up to her and start a conversation, and she could not even be sure if Ritsu wanted to speak with her. As she stood outside the door, unsure of what to do, Yui and Mugi approached her from the side.

"Eh? It's really Mio-chan!" Yui chirped, happy to see her fellow band mate. While it did not show, she did have an idea as to why the bassist was here.

"Ah… Well… It wasn't like I was looking for Ritsu or anything…" Mugi and Yui looked at each other and smiled knowingly. Oh she was looking for Ritsu all right, no doubt about it.

"Ricchan is not in school today."

* * *

Ritsu suppressed a curse as she sneezed for the umpteenth time that day. It seemed that her head would not stop hurting and spinning, and having her body surge forward and giving her a massive concussive force just because her damn nose and throat wouldn't stop itching was annoying as all hell. She inhaled sharply, attempting to clear her clogged nose, but no matter how much air she drew in the passage just would not clear. Her head felt heavy, her brain was like sludge, and now she was convinced that some of it had spilled into her nostrils just to block it.

She really had not expected to come down with the flu at this time of year, much less so badly. It was already the third day she was in bed, and even then the fever had not gone away completely. Some part of Ritsu wondered if her nose was beyond saving.

_Damn, and the live concert is coming up soon as well… Everyone can't practice because of me… Come on immune cells! Where's your rapid healing when I need it? Sure sure, heal all my cuts and bruises in a day but cripple me over a stinking flu?! _The past three days had Ritsu feeling like she was in total hell. She had felt the dizziness and feverish heat rapidly intensifying as she sat through the final lesson of the day, and it had made the walk home immediately after school was done labourious and terrible; it took a massive amount of willpower just to drag one heavy foot after the other, and it was the fear of losing consciousness that had kept her moving. She swore the road home had extended itself just to mess with her that time.

Even after she had managed to arrive home and rest a little, she barely had the strength to lift her own arms to change out of her uniform, and by then her trembling body was drenched in cold sweat. Being healthy and energetic seemed like a miraculous feat at that time, and feeling normal almost felt like a distant memory. At first, she had intended to simply collapse onto the bed and wait till her parents came home to help her change and bring her to the doctor, but after nearly half an hour of squirming in discomfort she decided to call up her mother for help.

Ritsu asked for an injection and more powerful medication, since it would help to speed up her recovery. It wasn't just the fact that the concert was coming up; she also wanted the fastest ticket out of her own bodily-induced hell. The doctor had assured her mother that the drugs would be able to heal her in a few days, but right now Ritsu was seriously doubting it.

Then again, it probably had something to do with the fact that she had not been able to get proper sleep. Not when her own mind decided to mess with her.

_Of course she never said that… Of course it was just me jumping to conclusions as always… because I'm stupid right? _Ritsu frowned.

* * *

_"Uh… Look Mio, uh.." Amber eyes were wide and unsure as their owner stood rooted to the spot, fully taking in what had just happened._

_"Stop it! Stop it! Ritsu you stupid idiot! GO AWAY!" a hand swung out wildly, connecting with its unintentional target: the face of a young, auburn-haired girl._

_"Look…I-I'm sorry…"_

_"NO! You're never sorry. You say it just because it gets you out of trouble! I never said anything like that; Miko-chan never did anything like that!"_

_The shorter girl was speechless by that point, unable to defend herself from the raven-haired girl's tirade. Behind her, a girl whimpered in fear as she cradled her scratched elbow, trying to soothe the pain from the shredding it received when it connected with the sandy ground. The lively chatter that surrounded them had ceased. _

_"But Mio… I…" _

_"GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU!"_

_And suddenly, her stinging cheek didn't seem to hurt as much in comparison anymore._

* * *

Ritsu's body was exhausted, but yet her head seemed unable to shut itself down. The fact that these unpleasant memories were coming back to haunt her certainly did not help either.

_And now, she doesn't even want to talk to me… Why did I even do that? Isn't that what she hated me for then? Do I really take her forgiveness so lightly? _She slowly felt a gaping abyss open in her head, fueling the twisted thoughts as they swirled and stormed around her mind as she felt her feverish body sink deeper into the bed. She gave in to her irrationality that day, and now she had to pay the price for it. _Hmph, in both my body and mind huh?_ Was it karma? Perhaps so, Ritsu mused, for the pain she had put Mio through. Both in the clubroom, and all those years ago; and in both instances, Ritsu realized that she had in essence committed the same, hurting mistake.

Ritsu hated her mistakes. The buzzing in her head grew as the abyss tried to open wider, and the thoughts died down as her head throbbed in pain. The drummer gritted her teeth; the karmic flu was certainly being a colossal bitch.

Still, she felt somewhat glad that her mind was still in a fuzzy state; it certainly made that black-hole in her mind swirl a lot less coherently. However, she could not stop her conscience from bringing up old memories in an effort to pronounce some kind of judgment upon her and ease itself.

* * *

_"Hey Mio! What'cha doing?"_

_"What do you want, Ritsu. And for goodness' sake, this is a library; keep it down!"_

_Ritsu peered over the bassist's shoulder, shrugging off her friend's previous statement. The public library was quite empty right now, so Ritsu was sure that no one would be bothered anyway. As soon as her eyes fell on the pages before her, they began to sting in pain as they recognized the familiar, yet alien symbols printed on them; arranged in neat lines and seemingly mocking her inability to fully comprehend them._

_"Ugh… English…." Ritsu stepped back, shielding her eyes from the abomination that she just had the misfortune of gazing upon._

_"If you have nothing better to do, just keep quiet. I'm trying to read in peace." Mio rolled her eyes and huffed, turning her eyes back to the book._

_"Good grief Mio, reading such insane books like that. Are you trying to let such demonic words brainwash you?" _

_"Mind you, these demonic words I'm reading tell the story of a knight."_

_"Oh? What's his name then?" _

_Mio shifted the book towards Ritsu, showing her the cover of the paperback that had captured her attention for a while, sighing as she did so. She really should have expected something like this to happen when she asked Ritsu: the hyperactive, almost attention deficit Ritsu to accompany her to the public library. _

_I mean, sure they were still having summer break right now and should probably be off celebrating their survival of the first term of their first year in high school, as well as the "success" of their training camp. But who said it was a crime to just sit back and try to enjoy a good book? After all, she did initially want to spend her high school life studying and reading good literature after school._

_"Uhhhh…. Mio. How the hell do you even pronounce this? Don… Donkey? Don-quee-what?"_

_"Don Quixote, stupid."_

_"That can't be English." Ritsu deadpanned as her eyes narrowed, peering at the book title suspiciously._

_Mio put her finger to her chin. "You're right. It was originally a Spanish text, but got translated to English." She replied thoughtfully. _

_"Spanish?!" Mio could see the shock in her friend's eyes, and just could not repress the smug grin that spread across her face. The drummer responded by refusing to meet her gaze, folding her arms and biting her lip. She held her gaze a little longer, letting herself bask in the glory of having rendered Tainaka Ritsu completely speechless. Once she was satisfied, she decided to release her friend from her torture._

_"Well, he is more of a self-proclaimed knight who is trying to live out his fantasies of chivalry…" Mio chuckled lightly. _

_"Huh. Like what happened back then about me promising to be your knight, princess Mio?" Ritsu teased, her initial embarrassment now replaced by a sly grin. Mio fought the urge to punch the drummer and tried to hide her flushed face._

_"I-Idiot. That was just a game. Your motivations were anything but chivalrous. In any case, Don Quixote isn't really a proper knight; he simply thinks the people around him need saving or that the windmills are evil giants."_

_"What? So he's just some crazy person pretending he's a knight?"_

_"Yeah. Somewhat like you, Ritsu." Mio returned, shooting Ritsu the same smug grin she had earlier; once again, the drummer could not make a witty comeback and was relegated to simply sticking her tongue out as the bassist began to double over in muffled laughter, book completely forgotten. _

* * *

Who knew that of all things, a dingy little childhood game would come back to bite her in the mental ass? Ritsu closed her eyes and tried to shut out the offensive thoughts that continued to pour out from the abyss in her head. _A knight that only knows how to harm her princess… some knight you turned out to be Ritsu. I don't think even the mad knight himself hurt his princess... _It may have been just a game; but Ritsu found herself growing into the role of a "knight" to Mio through the years, and she enjoyed it.

Of course, it cannot be said to be something noble, and it sounded just downright childish. But, for Ritsu, that was an essential part of her relationship with Mio; it was what made her feel truly relevant to the otherwise untouchable bassist. Mio never liked to admit it, but she few friends throughout her life, and Ritsu was one of those very few she had kept close to herself. She was the type to contemplate a lot and mull over things to sometimes insane extents, and it often showed in her conversations and behavior. It made her words and thinking process near impossible to understand at times, and after awhile, most people gave up trying to know her.

And Mio soon also gave up trying to know them. Instead, she let herself settle behind her own walls; and surrounded herself with fairy tales and fantastic worlds since she found no place with the world around her. She quickly got used to staying behind the scenes, to simply disappear. She learned to keep her thoughts to herself, if anything, so that she would no longer judged by them.

It took someone with massive disregard and a gigantic personality like Ritsu to break her out and begin accepting people again. Ritsu bludgeoned her way through mostly. And now, all that bludgeoning had certainly come around to kick her right in the back.

Suddenly, her throat began to rise towards her mouth, and her torso began to convulse, blasting gusts of air through the windpipe in an attempt to soothe the burning itch that still lingered there. Ritsu reeled momentarily; her head beginning to spin and buzz violently from the force of her body surging forward when she coughed. Her body needed rest, and she had better make damn well sure that it got the rest it needed. Closing her eyes, she let her muscles relax, and the buzz in her head started to die down.

Just as she sank into her covers to try and make herself more comfortable, she heard a series of dull thumping from beyond her bedroom door. The thumps were light, measured, and gentle; having an almost familiar, rhythmic feel to them. Whatever was making those thumps, it was nearing her room door as they grew subtly in volume as the moments passed, and the gears in Ritsu's mind began to turn again, trying to decipher that strangely recognizable rhythm. Yet something about their pace seemed off; as if they were… Ritsu could not really think any further as the buzzing in her head began to intensify. The thumps stopped, and something in Ritsu's head instinctively clicked.

"Mio…?"

"What are you, some psychic?" Mio entered the room, putting her bag and bass guitar against the wall. The room held many precious memories for her; for it was the only other place she spent most of her time in besides school or her own home. Much of her growing years were spent in this very room, together with its actual inhabitant which currently lay more or less incapacitated on her own bed.

"Heh. I know the sound of your footsteps, Mio…" Ritsu replied, her voice devoid of any animosity or disdain. In fact, her tone was almost relaxed, as if nothing had ever happened; perhaps in attempt to try and forget that something did, but this only made the sinking feeling in Mio's gut intensify.

Mio felt the unsettling fear beginning to creep back as her mind raced to protect itself from the psychological hurt it may receive, but she forced herself onward. She stepped slowly to the edge of the bed and lowered herself down to sit on the floor, but making sure she didn't meet Ritsu's gaze; fearing what she may find in the eyes of her childhood friend. A small part of her felt relieved and a little hopeful, since it was a cold that had kept Ritsu from coming to school. Mio let out a small smile; perhaps this would not be as terrible as she imagined.

_What should I say now? Come on Mio, at least let me see your face… tell me what you're thinking… _Ritsu kept her eyes trained onto the back of Mio's head.

Mio on the other hand, refused to take her sight off the pale wall across her; not looking at Ritsu would certainly make it slightly easier for her. It may be a cold, but that was no excuse to deny what she had done to Ritsu; she still needed to make amends, if not for Ritsu then to ease her conscience.

"So… are you feeling better?" she asked coolly; hoping that her voice would not betray her. Since Ritsu decided to set a relaxed tone, she figured that she should at least go with it. Even so, the sense of discomfort would not leave Mio, as she still felt like she was treading on thin ice.

Ritsu swallowed to clear her mouth and soothe her rapidly drying throat. "Not that good. I still have a fever." Her voice cracked, and Ritsu felt her torso shiver; yet there was no actual chill in the room. She felt a torrent of thoughts spilling through her head, each sentiment fighting for a chance to be actualized; her conscience craved to be eased, it sought to be defended, and it wanted more than ever to just be allowed to make amends for itself. On the other hand, her mind also hoped to flee, to give in to the fear and self-resentment that had plagued her. There was so much she needed and wanted to say.

"Hmm. No wonder you didn't have enough strength to play the drums…" Mio sighed, in… relief? Ritsu could not tell.

"Ugh, and just right before the school concert…" Ritsu grumbled, and she felt the stress returning. Quickly, she slid under her covers, into a pocket of warm, soothing darkness; hoping that her thoughts would leave her alone. The concert, the missed practices, everyone.

"Don't worry, just get better and it will all be fine, alright? Everyone's waiting for you." Mio tried to ease Ritsu for what it was worth; even though the reality was perhaps not too promising. But Mio held her thoughts back, as always; not wanting to stress her even more than she already was. The air surrounding them was still tense and fragile, and Mio did not want to make a move she would regret; she just wanted Ritsu back.

Ritsu's absence over the past three days had made her feel…empty. She still went through her classes normally, she still had lunch with Nodoka so as to not trouble her, she still practiced on her bass at the club. Her routine was more or less undisturbed and intact, any slight changes would probably be due to Mio herself spacing out or generally being somewhat cranky. Yet, something just felt off about those normal days she just went through.

It was the absence of a physical annoyance hovering around her and provoking her; the absence of a loud, distinctive voice that would spew out some obscure, haphazard plan. It was the lack of a solid backing and foundation to support and accentuate her bass notes. It was the fact that there was a space right next to her that was coldly empty on her walk back home. It was the absence of the feeling of having her phone vibrate and trill repeatedly till the clock struck 11.

It was peaceful, but unnervingly so.

"The others… aren't mad right?" Ritsu asked softly, shielded by her comfortable blanket. This time, she could not bring herself continue her relaxed tone. Not with the thought that she had pretty much made everyone worry and left them hanging for three whole days.

"Of course not." Mio leaned back and rested her head on the lump that was Ritsu, hoping that if anything, it would help them both relax. That it would help tell Ritsu that Mio just wanted things to be back the way it was. That the bassist still needed her loud, annoying friend to be by her side.

The drummer sighed under her covers, relieved and enjoying the soothing pressure of Mio's head on her side. _At least, everyone is still alright. _But she still could not relax completely. The main thing that had been bothering her, the damn thing that had made her unable to recover still had not been resolved. She was tired, so tired; she just wanted to get this entire ordeal over with. Yet, she was scared. Fearful of what might happen if she opened her mouth.

But, if she did not, then her mind would never be at peace. Ritsu inhaled deeply.

"What about you?" the drummer held her breath as she heard the words escape her lips; barely above a whisper. Her voice sounded almost alien to her at that point, and part of her felt like she was hearing another person utter those same words; words which were raspy, hushed, fearful and brittle.

The bassist heaved a sigh, the remaining nervousness draining out of her almost instantly; she wasn't the only one seeking redemption from the seemingly untouchable other. And she wasn't the only one who was shaking under their own skin despite the seemingly conversational atmosphere.

"No, how could I be?" Mio said through her smile as she turned her head, hoping to look the drummer in the eye as the words left her lips. Seeing only a tuft of auburn hair where Ritsu's eyes should have been, Mio decided to let some of her thoughts out this time.

"Y'know…"

"Yeah?"

"When you play your drums, their beats always so… powerful and full of energy. Not hearing that at all has been really lonely…" The lump under her head began tremble, and when Mio turned her head again, she was greeted by a pair of teasing, amber eyes and a wide smile. Mio felt the familiar annoyance fill her mind as she watched her best friend break down into laughter at her heartfelt confession.

"Ugh! Ritsu!"

"Hahaha! I'm all better now!" Ritsu tossed herself up from the bed with her arms in the air, overjoyed and relieved beyond all rational reason. Excitement surged through her; a welcome feeling after three days of being in a total hellish state. At last, her mind could be at peace, and she could still stay by Mio's side; the pain could now be in the past.

Mio's words may have been in all ways melodramatic and cheesy, but Ritsu understood; she missed Mio too. A lot. Mio was a very important part of Ritsu, more than than the bassist herself could ever know. As a child, Ritsu had found Mio to be a very interesting person; a soft and shy person who could be as loud as her and hit even harder. She often talked about more serious issues, but she was always open to new concepts and certainly fun to be around. Well, if repeated provocation and teasing ending in a violent smash to the skull could be considered fun.

They had, by some strange twist of fate, managed to grow up together, and Ritsu could not deny that she loved watching this demure, somewhat naive and scaredy-cat friend of hers mature into the serious yet compassionate person that sat in front of her. It was this very girl that had saved her from the errors she had made throughout her life, and accompanied her whenever she ran into a wall. She was the only one who was willing to forgive her repeatedly, and was able to see her worth as a friend even when others decided to leave her behind because of her mistakes.

Being able to still be with her, and be the one who had exclusive access to her true thoughts, to still be Mio's "knight", that made Ritsu insanely happy. Still, her choice of words was _really_ melodramatic and cheesy.

But she could not afford to revel in her joy for very long, as her nose decided to violently remind her that her body was still out of commission. Not to mention that shooting up from her bed had caused her head to begin spinning again.

"No! You're not alright! Go back to sleep, you still have a fever." Mio pushed Ritsu back down to the bed, pulling the covers over her now shivering body. _Good grief. _Mio chuckled lightly to herself; the old Ritsu that she loved had come back, and all would be well from now on. The drummer obediently lay back onto the bed, grumbling in her extreme discomfort.

"Well, I'm going to go home alright? Rest well." Before Mio could even straighten her legs to rise, she felt a pair of calloused hands grab hers and pull her back.

"What? At least stay with me till I fall asleep. Pleeease Mio…." That nasal, begging whine warmed her heart, and only made her smile even more.

"Good grief."

Mio then sat down at the side of the bed again, fingers still wrapped around the drummer's. As Ritsu settled into the bed once again, she tightened her grip on Mio; fearing that she may still leave. The bassist sighed, and proceeded to rub her thumb across the back of Ritsu's hand. The room was silent, but now, the two girls were just happy to enjoy their newly mended friendship. However, Ritsu still was not satisfied. Before she could sleep, she needed to get the final pieces off her mind.

"Mio, I-I'm really sorry… just. I'm sorry." Ritsu choked out. There was a lot more swirling in her head, an entire storm's worth of thoughts she wanted to express, but she just could not find the right words to utter. Her usual eloquence and wit failed her; and she found herself unable to bring full ease to her conscience. _Is there no way I can properly redeem myself? _Yes, the issue had been settled, they both were willing to forgive and forget that it ever happened. Yet, it just wasn't enough; there was just something that Ritsu felt she needed to do, to atone for. Her hand began to tremble, and Mio decided to clasp her hands in both of hers.

"Hey. I made a mistake too, I shouldn't have yelled. But it's alright now Ritsu, don't worry. Really." Mio cooed, giving the drummer a reassuring smile and tightening the hold around her hand. The hand may have been a little calloused, but it was surprisingly soft. Mio smiled warmly; it was a lot like Ritsu. Hard and rough on the outside, but tender and soft on the inside. The trembling eventually died down, and Mio heard her breathing start to slow.

"You've always forgiven me Mio… even for leaving you behind like that…"

"You're important to me Ritsu. It's as simple as that." Grey eyes stared straight into amber ones. Hesitation emanated from the latter pair. Mio sighed and shook her head. Bringing her legs up to the bed, Mio adjusted her positon so that she was now kneeling next to Ritsu, and she proceeded to slide her arm between Ritsu and the bed. The auburn-haired girl raised an eyebrow and her eyes widened in alarm. _Wait what?_ Then, very slowly and gently, Mio pulled Ritsu up from the bed and enveloped her in a warm hug, burying her face into the drummer's neck.

"M-Mio…?"

"Idiot, you're not the only one who feels they need to atone for something, alright? So don't keep blaming yourself." Mio said through gritted teeth. This time, Mio decided not to hold back her thoughts any longer, and instead let her actions express them. She wrapped her arms tightly around Ritsu, and let herself relax against her torso. Gingerly, Ritsu returned the hug, and slowly allowed herself to enjoy the warm sensation. Mio began to stroke her back and nuzzle her neck, and Ritsu felt her shoulders tingle.

Returning the favour, Ritsu lowered her head and rested it on Mio's shoulder. The throbbing began to ease and her nose started to clear slightly, letting her take in the scent of lavender from the bassist's neck. The two sat in silence once again, allowing one another to take in the warmth, and to let their actions speak for their minds. Bit by bit, Ritsu's body began to relax and her eyelids began to droop; her conscience was eased and her mind was gradually being put to peace.

After what felt like hours, Mio gently lowered the drummer back onto the bed, her heart stinging a little at the loss of contact. Clasping Ritsu's hand in both of hers again, she gave Ritsu a soft smile. Ritsu drowsily raised her free hand and placed it on Mio's cheek as she gave a small, sleepy, and somewhat lopsided smile.

"Thank you… my princess." Ritsu whispered, reciting her lines from that role-playing game all those years ago. The raven-haired girl chuckled lightly; a game that would certainly mean something a lot more now.

"You won't have to do anything more," Mio answered as she moved one hand to Ritsu's head and patted her gently. Ritsu leaned in, eyelids becoming heavier as the minutes passed. "Just be a good knight." And at long last, Mio was able to see the small, hopeful smile on Ritsu's face as exhaustion finally managed to claim her and make her drift into unconsciousness.

"I promise Mio. I promise." She pulled their clasped hands next to her head as her eyes began to close, and the grip on her hand tightened a little as she let her free arm fall back to her side under the covers. As she let her body sink back into the bed and the welcoming darkness of restful sleep engulf her mind, Ritsu grinned as she felt something soft and warm grazing her cheek.

* * *

**So there! This may have another chapter to it, if the plan works out. While this has been an idea that has been bugging me, I somehow feel that it can't compare to Contemplation. I don't know.  
**

**Also, I did try to alter the way I write here, by trying to show more instead of just telling, since good writing needs a healthy balance of both. Thanks to Psykoakuma for pointing out that I do tend to tell instead of show, I will strive to improve! Hopefully I am doing it the right way here. I really hope so.**

**As always, thanks for reading and please do leave a review and let me know what you think! **

**Thegoh**


	2. So The New Year Comes

**Hello all, Thegoh here again. **

**Firstly, apologies for the massive slowdown in updates. There's been a lot going on, and life is cruelly catching up. I'm having a fair bit of writer's block right now as well, so please forgive me if there is anything wrong with the quality of my writing.**

**Next, this is the second chapter to Let's Be Friends, which was intended to be a one-shot originally. I hope you all enjoy this second part to it, it will still be Mitsu-centric but I will add a dash of YuiAzu to it as well. Also, this one is slightly shorter than the first.**

**Lastly, please leave a review and thank you for reading! ^^**

* * *

_Cold…_ was all Ritsu could properly focus on as she groggily locked the door behind her. Her blazer did help to stave off most of the chilly air, but it was another matter entirely when the wind picked up. This kind of spring weather was the kind that Ritsu did not like; it was not cold enough to freeze water, yet it was still frigid enough to make one squirm a little.

Standing at the doorstep, she stared blankly at the door, giving her mind enough time to reboot and break out of its sleepy state. She then dropped her gaze to her abdomen, which was protected from the elements by means of a single layer of white fabric that was her blouse; the edges of her blazer flanking it. _It's cold… but whatever. Buttoning up is too troublesome. _Once the hazy fog in her head lifted, she began her morning routine as she made her way to school.

"Top of the mornin' Mio!" Ritsu chirped as she rounded the last bend and saw an all-too-familiar looking frame leaning against the concrete wall. Said subject had her arms folded and a less than amused look in her eyes.

"You're kinda late you know…" grey eyes darted up and locked with amber ones, accompanied by a loud groan as Mio ran her hand through her hair exasperatedly.

"Not late enough to get us in trouble, so why are you worried hmm? Ohoho… were you feeling lonely and thought you'd be stood up? Or did you miss me that much, my princess?"

Mio let her fist do the talking.

The pair began to make their way to school, via the same path they took almost every single day. Glancing over, Ritsu snickered at the bassist's still red cheeks and less than subtle scowl but held her tongue; deciding to spare the taller girl for now… or at least until the top of her head stopped throbbing. _Really, she needs to know her own strength! _The drummer sighed, it was probably a miracle that most of her intelligence – she **is** the Great Tainaka Ritsu after all – remained intact despite all the abuse her head has taken. Then again, it wasn't so much of abuse, but more of "asking for it" since Mio only hit that hard when thoroughly overwhelmed. Which, thanks to Ritsu's addiction to teasing, happened almost every day.

While Ritsu nursed her aching skull, Mio continued on in huffed silence, arms crossed over her chest and face locked in a frown; wanting more than ever to forget what Ritsu had said. Try as she might, but she just could not make the blush go away; the blood in her body was determined to remain pooled in her head and turn her into a walking joke for her friend. The more she scowled in irritation, the more blood rushed to her face as her mind turned into a broken record.

_Or did you miss me that much, my princess?_

It was a new year, a new school year. It was her first day as a third year in high school, and now she was a senior in the school. As a senior and an 18 year old, she should be acting as an adult and be focused on the year ahead, determined to take it down. Yet, she shuddered at the thought of the future. _I can't be the little girl I was last year… I am an adult now! But… how does one be an adult? What should Houkago Tea Time do this year? Then there's college entrance exams… And…_ The grey eyes once again darted towards the pair of amber ones, which were currently staring at the spring sky, unfocused and unaware.

The image of amber, infused with a feverish glaze flashed through Mio's mind. Brittle, hushed voices echoed in her ears, and the feeling of trembles and warmth danced across the skin of her hands and back. She felt the softness of invisible bedding on her knees, the weight of an invisible pair of arms over her shoulders; all while keenly aware of the chilled breeze across her weightless palm. A tingling itch spread across her still flushed cheeks, and her stomach began to coil slightly as bottled emotions roiled around her head.

Her heart ached. Her body ached. She longed for a certain person's special touch.

_Why can't I just… forget?_

It had been an unconscious move, Mio reasoned; an action taken in the heat of the moment. She was just trying to ease her friend was she not? That's right, she was merely trying to show her concern and help her. That's what friends do. It was nothing, it should be nothing. That was how it should be.

And yet, it wasn't.

For a small part of Mio kept telling her otherwise; and that her body wanted more of it. It terrified her to her core.

"Hey Mio, did you watch the news last night? They say it's gonna be a very windy spring this time." The tempest in the bassist's head paused to process the sudden input.

"Well, it isn't going to be that bad right? Then again, you don't do well with cold winds."

The drummer shook her head. "After that winter? Hell no. Spring should be about warmth and sunshine; cold drafts have no place here!"

"Yes, yes…"

"And it makes it so hard to sleep at night… it's all dark and quiet and suddenly the window pane starts banging…"

Mio felt her knees begin to tremble and weaken. Her mind found itself in a shadowy, abandoned room. The walls were yellowed, unidentifiable stains smearing themselves over the old, pale wallpaper. Termite infested planks board up the murky holes found on the wall. Her heels scrape across the rickety flooring, and it creaked ominously under her weight; dark, unknown patches and splatters dotted the corners of the room. A small pressure began to build in her chest as she heard the tiny sound of scuttling rodents.

The wooden door was moth eaten, a rusting padlock holding it shut. Her whole body shivered, her heart pounded in her ears; deafening in the stretched silence. The pressure pressed against the bottom of her throat. She craned her neck, her grey, widened eyes settling on a small window at the far end of the wall. Erie shafts of silver shine through the dusty glass, showing nothing but a blanket of illuminated nothingness outside.

The glass began to rattle. Her breath hitches, and her eyes widened as she felt her throat pushing up to her mouth. The rattling got louder, and her heart raced even faster as a shadow began to materialize beyond the glass. The pounding in her ears intensifies. The shadow twists and turns like black smog; smashing itself on the dulled glass, red eyes glowing and hungry to enter in.

"Nononononono… there's nothing there, it's nothing, it's nothing…" Mio slammed her eyes shut, clamping her hands over her ears and tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she tries to push back the imagery. Her feet were now glued to the pavement, and her knees were buckling in fear as the pressure in her chest became unbearable. Her entire torso shivered and trembled as the formless terror outside the glass begins to seep through, swirling towards her…

A snort.

The black smog suddenly jerks away, flinging itself upwards and sideways. _Huh? _The stained, musty walls start to buckle.

She hears chortling. The walls give way and dissolve rapidly, and the mouldy floor fades away, a grey cement pavement replacing it. The smog recedes even more, and the darkness is swallowed up by a clear spring sky. Chirping and traffic replaces the thunderous rush in her ears, and when Mio finally cracked open her eyes, they fell on an auburn haired girl who was currently bent over, gasping for air as she body shook violently with silent bouts of laughter. The wave of terror had subsided completely as her mind re-oriented itself, and a different, boiling pressure began to build up rapidly.

"WHAT THE HELL RITSU!" and Mio gladly let her instinct take over once again, bringing down the almighty wrath of her fist on to the head of her idiot friend for the second time that morning. Around them, students and workmen alike continued with their morning commute and small talk, giving the pair of Sakura High students nothing more than just a nonchalant, if not irritated glance.

"Te-te-te… damn… that one really hurt…" The drummer clutched her head; it felt like it was splitting. Mio crossed her arms and stormed ahead of her victim, too frustrated to even say anything to Ritsu. _That idiot, what does she take me for?! _The taller girl growled through gritted teeth. She absolutely hated it whenever Ritsu would exploit her fears just for kicks; especially since Ritsu is aware of how vivid her imagination could be. Her temper flared hotly as she recalls all those times where Ritsu had tried to help her "get over her fears" but only served to make her feel even more scared, and more often than not only gave Ritsu a good laugh out of the whole thing, much to Mio's chagrin.

Irrational or not, fear was fear. It would always be a terrible experience; who in their right mind would enjoy the idea of feeling vulnerable and scared all the time? Simply trying to tell Mio that she did it was because her reactions were 'cute' merely painted Ritsu as a sadist in Mio's eyes. _An apologetic, but unrepentant sadist._ Mio's eyebrows knitted into a scowl as she stormed on, wondering why on earth she was stuck with a friend like Ritsu, or why she bothered to worry about her all the time.

Her raging temper was brought to a temporary halt when a small, calm voice rang through her mind. _But I always forgive her. _Mio's frown eased a little, and the grip on the strap of her bass casing loosened slightly. _It's not like I would completely lose my sleep because of her words… I can cope with my fears anyway… _Her footsteps began to lose their power, and her strides became smaller. _Besides, she doesn't have any malicious intent… _She sighed, and the tension in her muscles faded. _Any normal person would have just stopped talking to her… but I always still do. _Her scowl disappeared. Yet, the pressure in her chest only intensified as she was confronted by the next line of thought.

_Why? _Mio comes to a complete stop, her eyes fixed on the ground as the question bounced around her head. Why had she continued to keep Ritsu near her and as a close part of her life despite her rather aggravating hobby? An unwanted answer slammed itself into her thoughts, sending her mind into a frenzied panic. She could barely just hear the sound of approaching footsteps.

"M-Mio?" Ritsu asked hesitantly. She had spent the last several minutes trailing behind the silently fuming bassist; her attempts to apologise or even just get her attention falling on deaf ears. _Ah man, I think I may have taken it a little too far… But she usually doesn't get this mad… _The taller girl turned around and stared at the drummer; the rage had more or less subsided thanks to her new train of thought, but her glare was still rife with unspoken irritation.

"Look Mio, um, I'm sorry ok? I'm sorry, I went a little overboard."

Mio sighed another time and raised her hand; tired from having to process the amount of things appearing in her head. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to simply just let things return to normal, just so she would have one less thing to have to ponder about. "Just forget it, alright?"

"… Are you feeling alright?" Mio's mind raced a little; Ritsu did not need to know this right now.

"Yeah, just tired. Bad sleep." Mio lied, but still gave Ritsu a small smile as she pushed her thoughts back to her mental shelf. _I'll just enjoy the morning walk; think about this later._ The drummer held Mio's gaze for a while, before deciding to return with a smile of her own. The pair began to fall in stride once again as they continued the walk to school, easing off the tension through more casual conversation. Mio gladly let Ritsu's nonsensical comments occupy her mind; a welcome relief and sense of familiarity as she strolled past the cherry blossom trees. For now, her world was back to normal; it was just her best friend and her.

Of course, it was only normal for Mio. For Ritsu, everything for the past few months was odd. For Mio was a terrible liar.

Mio rarely kept in contact, or even avoided contact with her throughout winter break. She was no longer very willing to be near her; she could not even put her arm around Mio's shoulders properly in the photo they took in front of their newly chosen band name. She would flinch slightly if Ritsu decided to push her teases just a little further, and began to hit a lot harder in retaliation. It just seemed that she was slowly becoming more engrossed in her thoughts and becoming increasingly sensitive as the days went by; Mio just felt so out of sync.

Ritsu drove her hands into her pockets, trying to make sense of it all. She sifted through her memory of the past few months to try and find an answer. Did she say something to anger her friend? _No, she would have told me by now… _Maybe she lost something of Mio's? _That would not warrant this… awkwardness. _Nothing quite made sense.

The drummer groaned, running her hands through her hair in frustration. Just what was making things so weird between them? And it all seemed to start just after her little period of illness last year… And nothing out of the ordinary really happened back then. _We just talked and hugged a little! It was completely normal!_ Ritsu's footsteps began to slow down as the gears in her head began to turn.

_Right?_

* * *

A distance away, a petite, pig-tailed girl locked the doors to her home as well. She patted her pockets and schoolbag to check that her essential items were all in their right places. Raising her hands to her head, she smoothed down whatever stray locks of hair she had, letting out an annoyed groan at the few stubborn strands that refused to conform to gravity. Hefting her guitar onto her right shoulder, she set off for Sakura High.

For the girl, it was her first day of school as a second year student. Now, she was a year older and had one more year of experience under her belt; it was time to grow up. A mild bubbling was building up in her chest as she treaded her usual path to school, and she felt a small excitement rise to her head. A new year meant a clean slate, and she was determined to start it right; firstly by bringing back her old, more disciplined self.

The past year had been fun and rich with experiences, that was something Azusa could not deny. She had managed to meet and be a part of a group of very interesting – _but lazy_ – seniors. She was able to be part of a – _somewhat – _proper band, something she was not quite expecting to do in high school. Yet, despite all the enjoyment last year, Azusa still could not quite get over the fact that her seniors still weren't as serious as they should be. Simply put, their attitude towards music still left a lot to be desired.

However, what truly irked her was the fact that of all people, she too was beginning to follow in their footsteps.

For her, the guitar started out as a hobby; her initial interest sparked by her parents' heavy involvement in music. Through the years of learning and making mistakes, she developed a deep seated love and respect for the guitar and music; she warmly recalls the many late nights spent being mesmerized by the alluring sound of strings plucked to a jazz beat. She also reveled in playing around with distortions, though she never really liked them too heavy; feeling that too much distortion interfered with the purity of the note far more than she would have liked.

It was because of the amazing properties of music, that she would take practice so seriously. And now, watching herself back-slide and unable to make any visible progress with her skills thanks to her increasingly laidback attitude really irked her to no end.

Yet, she could not blame her seniors. Sure, she called them out on it numerous times, but she could not bring herself to outright blame them for their influence on her. Mostly because Azusa knew that some small part of her did enjoy the lax environment; that deep inside herself, she found their antics to be somewhat endearing. That same part of her also did not want these to ever end, despite being keenly aware of the other significance behind this new year.

"I'll be alone soon…" she muttered to herself. She felt her chest tense up and her stomach constrict slightly. Invasive images of a lone, petite girl sitting in an empty room with a single cup of tea burned through her head. It was crushing, suffocating; her hands instinctively rose to grip a heart she could not reach as she felt her lungs tighten. _Alone. Gone. No more… No…_ She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but to little effect.

She knew that she should not be like this; to let her thoughts take over to such an extent. Yet, her mind was a creature of habit. Azusa's hands began to clench into tight fists as she tried to ignore the gaping feelings of loneliness that still plagued her. She had to fight it, for only kids allowed their emotions to grip them like that. Only kids would hide in fear; but not her, not this time. She was going to face this like an adult, and manage it. Azusa inhaled slowly, taking longer and deeper breaths as she forced her body to calm down; her parents were right, it was never good for one to think too much.

"Azuuuusa!" Azusa nearly collapsed as she was thrown forward; an unknown weight smashing into her back. Her mind was jolted out of its rut.

"Ugh, Ritsu-sempai get off me…" the small girl groaned; she could trust her own senior to be so noisy in the morning.

"Aw, I'm just saying good morning. Why so mean little kitty?" the drummer gave a sly smile.

Azusa could only give her best cold stare in return. Ignoring her club president, she turned to Mio and gave a warm, proper greeting before continuing the walk to school together with them. Yet, as they passed through the streets, Azusa began to notice that something was a little off.

Her two seniors were conversing as per usual, but there was something different about the atmosphere between them. For one, Mio was not being provoked as often, and Ritsu's comments seemed a little more reserved. Furthermore, the two seemed to be standing a little further apart from one another and for a moment Azusa was sure that she saw Mio lean away from Ritsu when the latter tried to get closer.

Something wasn't quite right at all. Then again, Azusa mused, she was probably just thinking too much.

* * *

Arriving to see Yui of all people to be first in the music room, doing an admittedly ridiculous looking windmill strumming was certainly a pleasant surprise for Azusa. The younger girl was filled with a curious hope as she asked for the reason behind her early presence.

"Eheheh, I actually set my alarm an hour early by accident..." Yui answered sheepishly; all-too-aware that her reason was anything but valid and promising.

_Completely expected… _Azusa sighed as the final embers of her hope were extinguished. Still, she could not help but be amazed by Yui, even if it was somewhat begrudgingly so at times. When Azusa first met her, all she could say regarding Yui was that she was a grade-A airhead with a major in being an annoying cuddle-bug and had a penchant for tagging others – sentient or not – with embarrassing monikers. She seemed childish and a little flippant; someone whom Azusa respected only because she was a senior and was disappointingly unlike the serious musician she thought she witnessed on stage.

She just could not bring herself to acknowledge her as a proper musician; if you decided to pick up the guitar, the least you could do was to be serious about it and learn it thoroughly!

Yet, her rather condescending thoughts fell apart when she managed to properly observe her practice with the guitar for the first time; her parents always said that you could tell how a person was like by the way they handle their interests when no one was really looking. For someone who probably only learnt of the guitar's existence a year ago, she certainly showed a high level of skill; and what she lacked in theory she made up with a rate of learning that could only be described as otherworldly.

What was seemingly careless, child-like behaviour revealed itself to be a very warming and simple form of dedication. The airhead turned out to be a humble, carefree person who did her best to pursue the skill in her own, workaround way; a result of being keenly aware of her weakness in dealing with esoteric information like music theory. Furthermore, someone had to bring some good-old-fashioned cheer into their otherwise mostly empty home; Hirasawa Ui had more than enough to bear on her own and Yui understood that.

_Perhaps I'm making my standards too high, being so quick to judge. _That was all Azusa could conclude back then.

Now, her annoyance had transformed into an envious curiosity; she found in herself a strange desire to better know this unwitting prodigy that was her fellow guitarist. She did want to get to know the rest of her quirky seniors as well, but Yui much more so. There was something very interesting and influential about her; to the point that Azusa would find her thoughts and everyday judgments based around Yui, and that she would find it strangely off whenever she was not around.

Maybe it was that infectious determination of hers, or that sheepish smile whenever she knew she made a mistake. Perhaps it was her quiet dedication to the people around her, or that never-ending cheerfulness that she had no qualms sharing. Or it was that admittedly amusing and cute love for sweets. It could even be those annoying hugs that she allowed herself to secretly enjoy.

Azusa reasoned that it was because she had never met someone like Yui before; after all, humans are always interested in new things.

Not that she would ever let anyone know any of that.

"Hehehe… You haven't seemed to grow much at all Azusa-chan…" Ritsu teased slyly, lips curled into a grin as she inspected Azusa closely with a finger on her chin. Azusa's arms immediately flew to protect her dignity.

"You're the last person I want to hear that from!" she retorted, outrage clear on her face while she reflexively fought against Yui's cuddles; her mock frown the only mask to her own bubbling amusement as she noted the scent of strawberry jam and silently enjoyed that welcoming warmth around her shoulders. A warmth that she always felt was directed solely at her, a warmth that she had grown accustomed to in the short span of a year.

Yup, she definitely would not let anyone know that.

* * *

Azusa could feel her shoulders sagging as she read through the guidebook, line after line; letting out an aggravated sigh at the impulsiveness of her fellow guitarist.

Yesterday had begun rather normally, with the usual dilly-dallying before practice started. Then, upon discovering that their storeroom had turned into a room full of personal junk, practice was skipped over in favour of doing some proper cleaning. Azusa would have protested if not for the fact that there was truly a ridiculous amount of nonsense within that tiny space. Ritsu and Yui on the other hand, protested almost instantly. And thus, the five girls began the mundane task of cleaning and sorting.

_No surprise that most of this stuff belongs to Yui-senpai…_ Azusa recalled herself thinking as she moved box after box of rather useless trinkets out of the storeroom for Mio to sort through. The bassist had her hair tied up in a rare ponytail as she ploughed through the mountain of items. Azusa could not help but stare a little; Mio did look rather cool. It seemed that no matter what state she was in she had the capacity to look good. Her motherly sighing at the things she sorted through only added to it.

Of course, the fact that a certain pair of friends were behaving a tad bit erratically did not go unnoticed by the younger girl or the smiling keyboardist.

_Don't look at her, don't look at her, don't look… crap. _Ritsu suppressed a frustrated groan as she had to look away for the umpteenth time within the span of an hour. She was irritated enough for having to clean; she hated cleaning far more than anything. Cooking? Fine. Laundry? Whatever. But cleaning? Hell no. Her rapidly deteriorating mood was also plagued by an additional issue: her whole body felt very uncomfortable thanks to her friend.

It wasn't a pleasant tingling or even a warm wave; it was an annoying, prickling sensation that spread from her back all the way to the tips of her fingers. It made her nerves jumpy, her muscles tense and her mind racing on edge for no discernible reason. She was surprised the items before her hadn't burst into flames from the intensity of her own stares as she tried to fix her eyes on them. What bothered her even more was the fact that her face felt slightly flushed, and heated ever so slightly each time she laid eyes on Mio. Her words became just a bit caustic and forced as she tried to cope and cover up that messed up feeling roiling in her chest.

It was that damned ponytail.

And that damned pout.

And those damned, gorgeous legs.

Ritsu wanted to scream. She wanted to curse out loud, pull her hair out and summon the weapons of the divine to destroy whatever that was inside of her that was making her react like this. _I'd rather eat a hand grenade right now… DAMN IT! Bloody damn shi- _ She tuned out that part of her mind before her vocabulary got too colourful.

When it came to friends, this definitely was far from normal. And it all started thanks to Ritsu giving just a bit more thought to what had been going on between Mio and herself.

For surely no normal friend would so strongly desire for them both to be in physical contact; surely no normal friend would crave to see the other in certain appealing kinds of clothing. And surely no normal friend sought for such a deep, emotional connection from someone of the same gender.

They'd done many things together since they were kids; playing, sleeping, bathing and the like. Yet, she always never thought much of them, precisely because they had been doing these kinds of things together for so long. She had hugged Mio, slung an arm around her, hell even carried her on her back before countless times. She had made her dress up a lot – especially thanks to Sawako – since she was able to look really good in some of the things she wore.

These were all passed off as playful privileges that Ritsu was entitled to for being Mio's closest friend.

But to want to take these things further? To actively want – no, crave for more of them to happen? That was what had set off the alarms in Ritsu's head. And recalling what exactly had happened back then when she had fallen ill, now it made just a bit more sense.

"Hey Ritsu, isn't this yours?" Mio piped up, holding a small book in her hands. The cover was worn and slightly tattered, multiple pressure marks indicating that it had been subject to numerous repeated strikes. Ritsu immediately recognized it; it was one of the books that she often used as a snare drum when practicing at home.

"Ah thanks…" Ritsu instinctively reached over to grab the book from Mio, and in the process locked eyes with her as their fingertips brushed against one another. Ritsu froze. The prickling itch flared. Her cheeks began to feel like they were being seared. Hastily, she yanked the book from Mio's fingers.

"Uh… Yeah. T-Thanks."

Mio raised an eyebrow. But she did not dare to question Ritsu; not when her own mind was reeling in a panic. _Oh great, it's back… ok, ok I have to calm down… _Mio took her breaths slow and deep, eyes closed. Part of her was thankful that her voice did not crack when she asked Ritsu about the book; she just could not shake that cloud of awkwardness that still hung over her head.

Images flitted past her mind one after the other; snapshots of her dreams and fantasies from whenever her mind was idle. All involved herself being hot and flustered and a certain person in particular disarray. Seeing Ritsu, blazer discarded carelessly and sleeves folded up, with a slightly flushed look on her face and hair just a bit tousled; it fueled the images like propane to a wildfire. She wished more than ever that her imagination was never so vivid.

It registered vaguely in her mind that it was time to withdraw her hand. Blushing fiercely, she forced herself back to the task at hand, an uneasy scowl strewn across her features as she continued rummaging through the mess, heart thumping uncomfortably against her torso.

_What's going on? _Was all Azusa could remember thinking. Mugi's teasing smile did not help either. Surely it wasn't that she was thinking too much then?

The younger girl sighed as her thoughts returned to the present, where her brown-haired senior was kneeling before a tank, face squished against the cool glass as she observed the newest addition to their clubroom.

_I swear this was just too impulsive… it's most probably going to be a burden on us… _Azusa sighed as her eyes followed the tiny creature in the tank as it swam to and fro effortlessly. The little critter turned its head; its cute, beady eyes seemingly locking with hers. The younger guitarist smiled a bit, at least the turtle was cute somewhat.

_It's a soft shelled pig-nosed turtle! _She remembered Yui correcting her in excitement. The creature – named Ton-chan now – was a gift to Azusa from her seniors using the money from selling their teacher's old – but surprisingly valuable – guitar. It had been intended to keep Azusa company due to the absence of new juniors.

Azusa knew that the arrival of Ton-chan had the good intentions of her seniors – well mostly from Yui – riding on it; even though she did reckon it to be a rather unnecessary move. The turtle would never be able to play an instrument or even speak, and it required additional commitment and attention.

She could not deny the fact that without new juniors, she was setting herself up to become very lonely once her seniors graduated. And that gradually, her seniors would be less and less able to come for practice. She was too aware that she was digging herself into a trench.

And yet, for the sake of the present, she didn't care.

"Y'know Yui-senpai. You're going to have to care for it a lot, and the water temperature must always be regulated and the water itself changed regularly… And it will need to be fed every day…" Azusa said as she studied the guidebook in her hands with a small frown; it really required a fair bit to care for this turtle.

"Ah, I can bring food for it if we run out; I do keep a Chinese Pond Turtle, an Asian Yellow Pond Turtle and a Stinkpot at home. So no worries!" Mugi offered with a warm smile.

_Ok, then maybe it won't be that much of a burden… Is Mugi-senpai an expert on everything? _Azusa could only stare at the blonde in silent wonder. She made a mental note to talk to Mugi a little more when she had the chance. _Well, I guess then Ton-chan won't be too hard to keep. Besides – _the younger girl turned back to the tank as Yui continued her whispering to the reptile – _it's the thought that counts right? _The junior suppressed a grateful smile.

The peaceful air was soon shattered by a vehement cry.

"I'm sick of this!"

Four pairs of eyes turned to the source of the noise; Ritsu sat on the ground with tears in her eyes, watching the screen of the laptop before her.

"I'm sick of the drums!"

* * *

**And there! The end to the second part. I've decided to cut it off here so that this chapter won't end up too long. **

**As I said before, the entire idea behind Let's Be Friends had been bouncing around in my head for quite awhile, and I must admit: rewatching the entire anime again to make my references to canon as accurate as possible has been very fun. Heheh.**

**But that itself also has contributed to why the updates are so slow. **

**If there are any mistakes regarding grammar, writing style or whatnot, I ask for your forgiveness once again: I do not have a beta reader. I have to - and have proofread all my stories on my own.**

**Please do leave a review to tell me what you think :D And to all the people who have shown me so much support, a big thank you to you! I'd hug you guys through my screen if I could.  
**

**Thegoh.**


	3. For The Love Of Jakka And Jan

**Hey all, Thegoh here again, with chapter 3 of Let's be Friends.**

**I'll be honest, the explosion of follows for this story really motivated me very much in churning out this chapter. I hope that it will be to all of your likings. **

**As usual, really thank you all for the support, and do leave a review to tell me what you think!**

* * *

_Wha? _Mio's mind felt like sludge as her brain's processes ground to a screeching halt. _She's… what? Sick…? Drums? Of… the drums? _Mio could never have imagined those two words being used together in a single sentence by Ritsu.

Said drummer still sat on the wooden parquet floor, tears of frustration flowing down her cheeks as she turned away from the screen before her, sniffling. Ritsu almost never cried; she barely allowed herself to shed a tear even when she received any painful injury, and usually only knew how to flare up when the circumstances pushed her over the edge.

But to… cry over the drums? The concept was only vaguely plausible in Mio's mind. Not that her mind was in top processing condition currently; most of it was still trying to get past the idea that Tainaka Ritsu was sick of drumming. And the fact that she was shedding tears.

_Those tears look real… I think. But this is Ritsu we're talking about… _A part of her still could not believe what was happening before her eyes. Another part of her ached badly as she felt her chest constrict; very shaken from seeing her friend in such a state. Even if the tears were for dramatic effect – Ritsu surely had the ability to force tears when she needed them – what could have possibly driven her to proclaim that she was tired of the one thing that she loved so much?

Loved more than Mio herself, she mused. _What?! Ugh… now isn't the time for this! _Mio suppressed a tired groan. She needed to get to the bottom of this.

"Sick of the drums-?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sorry!" Ritsu raised her hand in defense, "The phrase 'sick of' may be a bit strong. But-!" Her outstretched arm moved to point at the laptop screen. "Look at this!" she finished in a growl.

It was a recording of all the concerts the Light Music Club had performed in since their first year, kept by the student council as a record of all the activities that their particular club had participated in. The video provided a wide shot of all the band members as they stood on stage amidst an excitedly murmuring crowd of students. However, the camera was positioned all the way behind the audience, and thus they looked relatively smaller in size. There were only four of them on stage at that point.

"Oh, it's the concert at the school's Culture Fest when we were first years!" Mugi exclaimed in excitement, nostalgia washing over her.

"Oh, so that's when I saw Mio-senpai's-"

"Ugh please, no!"

"That's not the point!" Ritsu retorted. "Look at the drums closely."

Five pairs of eyes trained onto the instrument in question on the screen. The familiar shape of the percussion instrument was visible against the maroon curtains, but most of it was shrouded in shadow or blocked by the others. As a result, they could just barely make out where Ritsu was, since most of her was also darkened save for her forehead; she was the only one without a spotlight on her. In contrast, everyone else was well-illuminated and very obviously noticeable.

"Wow, the drums are really quite hard to see from the front…" Mugi quickly pointed out.

Ritsu sighed. "And that's not the only time. Look!" As Ritsu went through the individual videos of all their performances, the crux of the issue became apparent; while all the others were able to have their several minutes of glory on stage – Mio's incident even skyrocketing her fame to outrageous proportions – Ritsu was the only one who had been consistently left in the shadows, with nothing alluding to her existence except for the crash of the cymbals, the rumble of her kicks or the glint of her uncovered forehead.

Needless to say, this left the loud-mouthed, larger-than-life drummer seriously annoyed.

It's not that she wanted her own fan club – the thought of masses of faceless girls drooling after her or worshipping her in secret was mildly disturbing. If she had a choice, then that was a burden that she would gladly leave for others to bear; she did not need to have the experience of being stalked, like what had happened to Mio.

However, being in the shadows to the point where many did not even know that she was the drummer of Houkago Tea Time? That was what had really pissed her off.

* * *

_Ritsu rested her cheek atop her palm, ignoring the faint murmurs surrounding her as Sawako wrote her name on the blackboard and introduced herself as the homeroom teacher for Class 3-2. The whispered sighs of admiration for the older woman's beauty were old news and pretty much jokes for the drummer, having already seen past Sawako's facade and knowing her to be an adult child with an 'interesting' taste in clothing and an even more interesting taste in music._

_Ritsu calmly awaited the day where her true nature would be revealed to the world. That, in Ritsu's eyes, would truly be an awesome show to behold. Even better if she could be the one at its helm!_

_But for now, the drummer had to deal with the mundane task of self-introduction. The awesome tales of Tainaka Ritsu, The Great Revealer of Secrets, would have to be put on hold. _

_"Uh… H-Hi… My name is Akiyama Mio…" came the faint, all-too-familiar voice from behind the short-haired girl; predictably laced with uncertainty and embarrassment. Ritsu swore that even if she were blinded, bound and gagged, she would be able to know just who that voice belonged to. Mio, in response, had pointed out that that particular sentiment made no sense. Not that Ritsu really cared; it made sense to her and that was enough. The surrounding murmurs intensified._

_"Wow…"_

_"It's her! Akiyama-san!"_

_"The bassist? In our class?"_

_"Heheh… so cute." _

_Ritsu duly ignored them all. _

_She was happy that she and Mio could finally be in the same class again. Yes, she was currently bored out of her mind, but just mere moments ago her mind was still reeling in excitement at being able to be in the same room as her best friend once again. _

_Even better was the fact that for now, Mio seemed to have reverted back to her old self; the weird air surrounding them was no longer as thick. For the first time in a while, Ritsu could finally have a proper conversation with the girl without the bassist's answers sounding forced or even distant; a refreshing change from that god-awful awkwardness that was the morning walk just a few hours ago._

_It was probably just jitters regarding the class shuffle and a new year. That has to be it. After all, she's a lot calmer already… but then again, who the hell has jitters for over a month?! Mio isn't crazy enough to worry about something like that throughout the whole winter… bu-_

_"Excuse me Tainaka-san, it's your turn now." Sawako chided gently, bringing the drummer out of her reverie. She was mildly surprised that her few short thoughts had lasted for so long. Sighing, she eased herself out of the chair and slipped her hands into her pockets as she rose._

_"Well, since you've already said my name I guess you can skip over right?" Ritsu chirped with a playful grin across her face. Murmurs turned into light snickers._

_"C'mon Tainaka-san." Sawako urged her on, her voice still tender and soft; but Ritsu noticed the slight glint in her eye. She suppressed a terrified squeak._

_"W-well. I'm Tainaka Ritsu. Nice to meet you all." The drummer felt no need to say anything further than that and promptly sat down; preferring to retreat into the safety of her seat and hopefully away from the eyes of death. Her mind slowly eased itself into a cycle of bored musings; the drummer paying little heed to the monotonous introductions of her surrounding classmates. Her previous train of thought was forcefully shelved away._

_It was far too tiring to think about it._

_Lunch break rolled by soon enough. Third year lessons were predictably uninteresting, but at least they were not outright boring. Ritsu considered it an achievement that she hadn't fallen asleep yet. _

_"Hello, Tainaka-san right?" Ritsu turned her head, her eyes falling on a girl with rather flamboyant pigtails. The drummer struggled to recall her name._

_"Uh yes… is there anything…?"_

_"Just wondering, are you the drummer from the Light Music Club, because you really look like her!"_

* * *

After scouting around, Ritsu realized to her chagrin that really, many people did not know that she was the drummer from Houkago Tea Time. Even the few in her new class that had been her classmates before all thought that she just liked to hang around the members of the Light Music Club. It really did not help that Ritsu barely made any friends during her first and second year besides her fellow band mates; it meant that almost no one was aware.

_I don't know whether they lack common sense or that people really don't give a shit… _Ritsu groaned. And now, after checking the videos, Ritsu understood why she had been left out of the loop. It was so unfair.

Her earliest reason to become a drummer had been because they just looked so damn cool on stage, wildly smashing about with so much power, yet were able to miraculously create a steady beat. They were like wild, powerful, untamed beasts, but within that wildness they held absolute power over the mood and speed of the song. Furthermore, drummers were always the ones got the love of the fans besides the lead guitarist. They were the ones who would receive due admiration and recognition; it was the kind of skill that made it obvious whether you were good or not. They were the ones – despite not having a tone – who would always be within the audiences' attention; for could you really ignore the existence of a loud, pulsing drum beat?

Of course, her love for the instrument now – _definitely, just who do you think I am? – _had better, deeper dimensions to it; but Ritsu never forgot what had sparked her love for it in the first place.

And knowing that the one thing that had kept her loving the instrument was the one thing that was never granted to her, Ritsu felt that she had every reason to be pissed. Even if it was just slightly misplaced and a little petty of her to do so.

Since when was it too much to ask for just a few minutes of glory on stage? Was it really not fair for someone like her to want some recognition for the work she had put into learning this skill? Ritsu felt like the punch-line of some cosmic joke; all those years spent trying to escape from being left behind through music and such was the result of her pursuit.

The drummer knew she wasn't academically intelligent. She knew she wasn't particularly athletic, nor was she very aesthetically inclined. As much as she would never admit it, she did, from time to time, have to practice using that blasted metronome hidden under her bed – courtesy of Mio. She could rarely contribute to composition, and all she could ever say as critique for musical pieces mostly only amounted to a jagged, segmented description of what she felt while listening.

And yet, all her life she found herself surrounded by talented geniuses that outclassed her in nearly every field she tried to explore. In fact, the four others who were currently standing behind her could possibly be the greatest gathering of geniuses in her life so far. Mugi was quite strong and athletic despite her size, Mio was a goddess at composition, Azusa had wicked skills on the guitar and Yui had been blessed with the penultimate gift of potentially being good at anything she could touch.

When she finally found some solace in rhythm, she chased it with all her heart. She could only buy the sticks at first, but the tattered books in her room were the witnesses to her fierce pursuit. Not to mention that particular trainee store owner who was almost reduced to frustrated tears as a result of her ruthless haggling for a used drum kit.

She had spent much of her teen years chasing for that niche, for the reward of an assurance in having a useful skill or any skill for that matter.

It was all rather disappointing for her.

"So… what do you want to do?" Mio asked apprehensively, glancing at the drummer's back as she squatted in the corner. Her eyes traced the gentle slant of Ritsu's shoulders; they rounded around the curves of her waist and below as she held her gaze. She noted that the mop of hair was still a little tousled underneath the bright plastic hair band.

She vehemently bit back the messy pictures in her head; feeling disgusted at herself for having the gall to think about them when there was a clear predicament before her.

The sniffling paused; the drummer's face still obscured by her hands. "I want to change instruments." was the soft, muffled reply.

Mio's brain momentarily froze. _Change? CHANGE?! _She could feel her brain cells temporarily shorting out at the mere implication of that word.

_Why? Was it me? Was my avoidance of her the reason for this? I-is she threatening to leave the club? _A myriad of questions flickered past her mind; a gripping, expanding veil of fear and frustration accompanying each one. _Something is wrong about her, and i-if I'm the cause… _Mio wanted more than ever to simply curl into a ball and hide.

Her mouth decided otherwise. "B-but you can't do that! Who will play the drums then?" Mio shot Ritsu with the obvious. Her lips quivered and her voice wavered slightly; Mio felt her emotions slip through, yet no one seemed to notice.

The sniffling stopped abruptly. Ritsu remained motionless where she was, her face still buried in her palms. Then, she craned her head slowly, revealing a puffed up pair of cheeks and stubborn frown upon a pair of tightly shut eyes, refusing to utter anything other than a deflated puff of air.

Mio fought the instinctive urge to hit her over the head. _Complaining, whining, and when asked for a solution? She didn't even bother to think that far… Just how irresponsible can she get? Still that explains nothing regarding the cause… _Stifling a groan, she rested her forehead on her palm. There was really far too much to think about.

"Eh? If that's the case Ricchan, do you want to try the guitar?" Yui piped up.

For Yui, the issue was relatively easy. The captain – well, being the captain – was probably just a little bored and needed to try something new. After all, simply doing something else after getting tired of one thing always helped to get her spirits up; homework was no exception to this tried and true practice.

Not that it was right to skip over homework, but people will get bored won't they? And boredom was no friendly foe in the world of Hirasawa Yui. Besides, she found it to be an interesting idea; just how would someone like dear old Ricchan fare in guitar playing? And would she herself be able to play the drums with that energetic flair like her? What would Mugi-chan look like holding a bass? This was truly something worth investigating.

However, as the guitarist watched her club president pull on the strap to her Gibson, she mulled over what the auburn-haired girl had complained about.

_She's behind us all the time… And it looks like no one can actually see her from the video. Is she…? _Yui barely had time to continue processing when Ritsu began showing off her poses with the guitar. Part of Yui felt rather sad – it was her own guitar, and Gitah should rightfully be hers to use only; Mio had taught her when she first got Gitah that the instrument was something very personal and fragile, not to be shared lightly and needed to be well cared for. The lead guitarist took those words very seriously, and guarded her instrument religiously like it was her own child.

Yui couldn't really care less if she had taken those words a little too literally. Care was care, and her care had kept her precious Gitah free from the harms of scratches and stains. So, seeing Gitah in the hands of another was a little unnatural and somewhat weird.

Yet, she just could not ignore just how much the image fit her captain so well.

"Hey hey, so how do I go about this, Teacher?" Ritsu stood before Yui, eagerly awaiting coaching as she held the rather alien instrument in her hands.

"Ah! Hold down the strings with your left hand and strum with your right." Yui answered almost too eagerly. Azusa rolled her eyes; Yui really got excited far too easily. It was a troublesome trait of hers.

"Sorry, I already know that much." Ritsu deadpanned. Yui recoiled in defeated shock; then what was she to teach her captain then? Where could she begin? Was her investigation destined fall apart right here?

Azusa chuckled as she moved a stand over at her senior. _Well no surprise that Yui can't teach; looks like I'll have to step in this time. The year's just started… so it should be fine. After all she is cute when she's happy like that…_

Azusa firmly pushed that thought into the pits of her mind.

_Wasn't she the one who avoided the guitar because it was too complicated on the fingers? Really, how fickle… _Mio had retreated to the table, back to her cup of still warm tea; deciding to consume the refreshing beverage as she waited for her best friend's latest zany scheme to tide over.

The slightly bitter liquid washed over her tongue in controlled waves, bringing a cascade of relaxing pleasure over her head and body, causing her to exhale the pent up air in her lungs; her elbows quickly brought themselves to rest over the tabletop, her back slouched on to the backrest ever so slightly as she felt her shoulders fall into a comfortable slump. She closed her eyes, letting the peaceful aura of nothingness surround her.

The bassist heard a rustle; and she found herself gazing into a pair of blue eyes when her she opened her own. The gentle features of Mugi gazed back at her, her soft blue eyes seemingly looking past her own rather tired, steely-grey ones. A tiny smile graced her lips.

Mugi was definitely observing and scrutinizing her. She may not have had a piercing stare, but she was definitely holding an influential gaze as she kept her eyes locked with those of Mio's. An eyebrow was raised slightly; an air of concerned curiousity emanated from her. Mio could feel her cheeks heat up.

As the bassist struggled to give an answer, Ritsu was starting to feel rather exhausted.

"Stick out your left hand more, Ricchan! It'll be easier!"

"Ah, curl your fingers senpai."

"Hold the pick loosely, and let your arm become like jelly…"

"You're still pressing down on the wrong strings senpai, it's these for the E chord."

"Ricchan relax and be one with the guitar..."

The drummer could feel her back tremble from sitting as straight as a board. Her fingertips hurt, they stung badly as she felt the metal strings dig and bite into her skin. She felt the muscles in her wrist grow increasingly tense, and an annoying pain began to spread from the shuddering joint as she struggled to keep her fingers in place; her wrist twisted into a rather awkward position in her attempts to do so.

Part of her felt mildly retarded as she strummed the thin strings uselessly; all that was produced was an irritating, dampened and choked ringing from the clash of plastic on steel. She continued to struggle, trying to force her – for some reason – suddenly fattened fingers to stop touching the open strings and simultaneously put more pressure on the ones that had to be pressed. The muscles in her fingers and wrist screamed in agony from the strain. The guitar seemingly gave way a bit, and some notes were beginning to emerge. Still, there was no clear tone, no melodious chord produced.

_Looks like I was right about the guitar… It's really too difficult for me._ _And these two make it look so easy. Kudos to them I guess… _Ritsu slowly began to uncurl her stiffened fingers from the neck of the guitar.

"Well not bad for a first timer. Let's move on to the next chord then." Azusa chirped. Ritsu promptly stood up, bowed, and returned the guitar to its rightful owner.

"Heh looks like the guitar is really a lot harder than it looks… You guys have my respect." the drummer gave a sheepish grin.

Needless to say, the rest of practice flew out of the window as the two guitarists tried to explain their skills to the drummer.

* * *

It was probably the effect of the sun's rays.

It wouldn't be physically possible for hair to shine and glisten like that, but Ritsu reminded herself that that was exactly what she had witnessed on the hallway.

There was a flash of supple, porcelain skin, unblemished and untouched by the harmful substances in the air as she locked eyes with the woman in question. The click-clack of white designer heels on a wooden flooring resonated in her head. Soft locks flowed behind her head like a billowing cape of tinted copper strands; a healthy sheen forming an almost visible glow around them. A pair of steel rimmed glasses sat quaintly on the bridge of her nose, the only darker contrast to her otherwise light, smooth facial complexion. The pair of soft brown eyes gazed warmly at Ritsu as she gave her a warm, sing-song greeting.

"Hi Sawa…." Was all the drummer could articulate before the image of a stunning, radiant beauty. She stared. And stared some more. Her thoughts had long since been frozen in place. She noted vaguely that her mouth was hanging wide open from being stopped mid-sentence.

And just a moment later, the walking show-stealer of a teacher had exited her field of vision.

_Sawa-chan… is shining… _that was all her brain could conclude.

As the day wore on, Ritsu found herself increasingly intrigued and bothered by what she had seen. Such radiance, such that it was almost bleeding off of her; just how was that possible? And knowing Sawako, just what was she planning to do, deciding to shamelessly – in Ritsu's eyes at least – show off like that. Was it another one of her grand plans to boost her popularity? And just what exactly had she done to be able to be like that? That was what intrigued her.

The other part that bothered her was, well, the fact that her brain decided to link the event to another person who could steal her breath away.

The brown locks were now jet black, and dark as the night. They still shone, but instead of a vibrant copper glow, there was an elegant, glossy black sheen on the lengthened strands. The glasses had disappeared, and brown eyes were transformed into a deep, stormy grey; almost as if Ritsu was staring into a hurricane. Yet, they still held the same soft gaze; they were still framed by soft, smooth, fair skin. She could just make out a faint blush on those cheeks.

"Good morning Ritsu." the cool tones washed over her racing heart like water. Ritsu could feel her cheeks flush; it was an unmistakable feeling of having blood rushing to pool in her face. The skin looked so smooth, so soft; Ritsu was left reeling at the thought of how they would feel like at her touch. Was it going to be like having electricity dancing across her skin? She wondered just how it would be, to let her fingertips slide through those dark tresses that adorned that person's head; to trace lines down her neck and graze her nose across those collarbones.

Ritsu found herself wanting to pull herself nearer, to slowly inhale that subtle scent of lavender that always surrounded Mio. She briefly wondered how it would feel to hold her hand, to lace her calloused, rough fingers between her slender ones while walking side by side instead of herself being bedridden. And how it would feel like, herself being the one to tie those midnight locks back into that delicious ponytail while the other pouted in mock resistance.

That image of her was stunning; so radiantly cool, so beautifully fragile and so… electrifyingly gorgeous.

_Ugh, I can't do that! _Ritsu blanched as she yanked her mind from its daydream at the sound of the lunch bell; the itch on her back spreading like a fire across the surface of her skin. The lingering image sent at charge surging through her chest as her heartbeat was forcefully pushed into overdrive. Her temples pulsed slightly, and she could feel her face glowing. This time, an awkward warmness began to heat up the insides of her torso and causing even her toes to curl up as the pressure built up in her throat.

_What the hell…. Am I getting…? _Ritsu quickly punched that notion through the roof.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to let the dull clutter of moving classroom furniture and buzz of incoherent chatter to drown out the rush in her head. _It's wrong on so many levels. Argh! Just, why? Am I… not normal? Who am I kidding; this is definitely not normal… _The drummer's fingers were curled into tight fists; something to smash right now would certainly help to ease the pressure.

Ritsu wanted to slam her head onto the table. She would be more than willing to lethally speed her cranium into the blasted block of wood before her if it meant an escape.

_Someone, anyone, just tell me what to do… _she took a quick glance behind her; Yui and the rest were already gathering to have their lunch. She needed to go there, to join them quickly for two reasons. One, she had forgotten to pack lunch for herself today, and was sick of having bread. Two, if she did not, then she would simply be adding to the awkwardness between herself and Mio. It was bad enough that she had to go through yet another one of those mother-of-all-awkward walks with Mio this morning.

Of course, in her current state of internal disarray, that was the last place she would want to even approach.

_But if Mio is willing to keep up appearances, I should too as well. I'm not going to drag everyone into our issues again… _The feeling of feverish chills and the strain of caged rage still lingered in Ritsu's mind; the drummer shuddered at the sheer venom and contempt in her words back then. It scared her that it was all for the sake of defending her childish pride and easing the need for some jealous vengeance. _When they said 'green-eyed monster' they weren't kidding…_ Having calmed down slightly, Ritsu solidified her resolve.

They said that courage simply meant being willing to look at what you feared straight in the eye regardless. Tainaka Ritsu was not a coward, nor would she allow herself to stumble into becoming one. Thus, Ritsu placed her palms on the tabletop, pushed herself out of the safety of her seat; using her right foot as a pivot and steeling her nerves, she turned her body around, away from her desk…

And marched out of the door of the classroom.

She'd go over eventually, but decided only to do so after having eased her mind by chatting with the rest of her classmates.

* * *

"Bye guys, see you all tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow senpai."

Azusa and Yui waved their goodbyes to their band mates and began their daily trek home. Despite the fact that the Hirasawa home was located a fair distance away from the Nakano household, their residences were essentially located in the same district. Hence, Azusa almost always had the opportunity – and pleasure, not that anyone should know – of taking the same route as her senior.

Their walks home together were often filled with rather exhausting chatter; Yui chattering and Azusa getting exhausted. The older girl would engage her junior in small talk and eventually make an offhand comment or a childish statement, leaving the younger girl having to roll her eyes and correct her flatly for her ignorance. Every now and then, Yui would provide her interesting two cents on a particular event that had happened during the day, and Azusa would find herself stumped and speechless.

For someone whom she had regarded as an airhead merely a year ago, Yui sometimes showed a frightening amount of insight. Especially when it came to things regarding Azusa's behaviour, something that peeved the younger girl to no end.

What made it frightening was because she often gave the impression that she never really paid particular attention to her surroundings. Still, whether it was true perceptiveness or a fluke was anyone's guess; the guitarist's thought process was often rather haphazard, and her carefree attitude made it hard to really pinpoint her what really went through her mind. Regardless, it was certain that there were gears turning in the older girl's head.

And right now, the younger girl mused that the more serious gears were turning a lot; Yui had been silent ever since the pair splintered off from the group.

"Hey Azu-nyan…" Azusa glanced at her senior, acknowledging her. Yui had her finger on her chin, and her face was drawn into a light frown. Sensing a serious topic coming up, the younger girl ignored the use of that embarrassing nickname.

"Do you think Ricchan feels lonely?" Yui continued walking, letting her question hang in the air.

"Why would you think that?" Azusa asked, confused. If anyone told her that her president was indecisive, rash, prone to making decisions on a whim and always forgetting to think just a step further, then Azusa would agree without a doubt. That girl practically made 'on a wing and a prayer' her modus operandi; what with all the thoughtless plans she cooked up.

_On second thought, I think that last one fits Yui-senpai a lot more._

But lonely? With Mio hanging around her so much – actually more of Ritsu shadowing Mio so often – you'd think that loneliness was a far removed issue for her. Furthermore, she was regularly and confidently socializing with others; both in the club and in her classroom, so wouldn't feeling lonely be rather counter-intuitive?

Yui furrowed her eyebrows a bit more and clarified. "She's always behind us at our best moments, and always in the shadows when we are in our performances. Won't she feel lonely, since she's left out all the time?"

Azusa paused. She gave herself a light slap to her forehead. She had taken the word lonely a fair bit too literally, and in essence had missed the point of Yui's question. The younger girl chided herself for forgetting the day's events so quickly; how Ritsu had been adamant about trying the keyboard and wildly proclaiming to want to shine like their club advisor. How Mio had consistently worn that worried expression on her face throughout what little practice they had, and how she herself had since become absolutely sure that something was up when Mio visibly hesitated at Ritsu's seemingly forced call to go home together.

And of course, the drummer's less than subtle complaints over the video that started the entire string of events. Just how could she have overlooked such a blatant connection to Yui's question? _Get your act together Nakano!_

"Y-You might be right Yui-senpai…" Azusa admitted. She began biting her lip, and her brows furrowed as she began to analyze the day's events in detail.

The older girl merely gave a hum in response.

"And Mio-chan's been all weird too…" the lead guitarist continued her pondering.

"Maybe she's just worried for Ritsu-senpai…?" The older girl shook her head.

"No." Yui's reply was firm, something rarely expected from the wishy-washy girl plagued by indecision at the most opportune times. Azusa could not hide her surprise at the certainty in her answer; her own eyes very obviously widening.

Yui continued with her answer. "I think they might be fighting again, Azu-nyan." Her answer stirred up all the broken interactions that she had witnessed between the two. It didn't really quite seem like they were fighting; they were still talking to each other. But then again, it was rather plausible, since the two were clearly avoiding one another.

_Really, I have to start paying more attention to these things… All this while I've focused on my skills and our skills as a band; and in the end I neglected two people who always took care of me…_

As Azusa went deeper into musing, Yui decided to cheerfully chirp up. "But don't worry Azu-nyan! I'll handle this, alright? It's my job as a senior! Ah, I have to go, see you tomorrow!" The older girl hoisted her guitar upwards and dashed across the crossing and into the opposite street; of course, not before stealing a quick – and admittedly comforting – hug from her still stunned junior.

Really, that senior of hers truly did show a frightening amount of insight. She silently thanked the older girl for trying to give her some cheer as she gazed at her senior's disappearing form while she jogged down the path, before breaking out into a small smile. _That's her way of caring I guess; can't be helped can it? I just hope she doesn't do anything troublesome…_

She really hoped that her dignity would be able to live to regret whatever idea Yui had in store.

* * *

"Why?" was all Ritsu could utter in response.

"Like I said, Ricchan, is it because you feel lonely? You're always at the back, so I thought you'd be." Yui resolutely repeated her inquiry and reason.

She had woken up, come to school and went through the day as per the usual; even mustering the courage to force herself next to Mio for the class picture in an effort to test waters. The only thing that had been different was the absence a morning walk with Mio. The bassist had dropped her a text saying that she was going to head to school earlier for class duties, and wouldn't be free to walk. Ritsu had spent a few seconds glaring at the text in betrayal, but decided to let it slide; she too needed some time alone to organize her thoughts.

Not after having made a rather uncomfortable conclusion the previous night and having it haunt her dreams.

She had been looking forward to practice actually. Nothing like a good old couple of subtly violent smashes to help ease off the lingering stress.

She certainly did not expect to be dragged into the clubroom the moment the bell rang and made to sit behind her drums which had been conveniently and embarrassingly placed in the centre of the room. The drums really did not go there!

After having shifted through various arrangements of the individual members – under Sawako's professional eye – and wasting up to at least half an hour, they had finally settled on something that actually worked; namely, the original configuration of their positions. Ritsu resisted the urge to give herself a face-palm.

Once that had been settled, Yui pulled a mining helmet from out of nowhere and put it on, deciding that the answer to Ritsu's problems with the drums was to literally give her a personal spotlight. To her face.

Naturally, that did not bode well for the drummer's eyes; it took at least ten minutes for her vision to return to normal, and another ten minutes for them to stop stinging like crap. Thankfully, the discomfort had managed to hide her elation at the fact that it was Mio who had stopped Yui from bleaching her eyes with pure wattage.

Somewhere in between, Azusa had stopped worrying for her dignity and had begun fearing for her president's safety.

And right now, Ritsu had to face with what Yui had probably determined as the million dollar question.

Was she lonely?

_No, not really. I mean, maybe it looked like that, but that's not quite it for sure. _Ritsu hadn't had a chance to even breathe a word about her side of the issue ever since she sat down. Of course, she did feel a tad bit lonelier, but that was for an entirely unrelated reason.

_No Tainaka, do NOT look at Mio._

"Well I'm not really lonely…" However, Yui held her resolute gaze; unconvinced by her captain's answer.

For if the issue was truly a result of a fight or worse, then Yui would never let herself give up until a promising resolution had been reached. She could not simply leave her captain behind to suffer in silence while the rest moved on. Which was why she was pushing for all these things to happen today, why she had spent almost two hours crouched in a dark corner of her dining hall last night, playing mock drums made of her dinnerware. She needed to do something for Ricchan, and she had placed herself in her shoes to try and understand.

Her grand plan this particular afternoon was the result of that careful analysis and determination.

"Then how about this? We'll try and have more communication between us while we play. Like this." Her frown turned into a determined grin as she turned her back to the drummer, hands poised as if holding her guitar. Ritsu gulped.

Yui took a deep breath and started strumming. "Jakka jakka jan jan jakka jan-" Ritsu felt her heart rate increase. "JAKKA JAN!" Yui shot a glance back. Ritsu's heart froze.

Yui repeated the action, this time holding her gaze at the last part. The sudden eye contact scared Ritsu to no end.

_What in all holy hell?_

"There! Everyone let's do this, and communicate with the lonely Ricchan behind us!" Yui rallied for the others. Azusa let out a sigh.

_Just, what?_

"Jakka jakka jan jan jakka jan JAKKA JAN!" Ritsu's heart stopped. Now everyone was doing it?!

"Jakka jakka jan jan jakka jan JAKKA JAN!" her heart jumped again. Four pairs of eyes gazed at her; Azusa and Mio both wore a bored expression – the latter having a slight tinge to her cheeks – while Mugi and Yui gave her excited looks. Mio let out the next sigh.

"This is perfect isn't it?" Yui clenched her fist in victory. Surely this could help Ricchan with her predicament!

Mugi silently wished she had brought a camera of sorts; recording Yui's antics would have made her an instant internet hit!

"Y'know Yui, that wasn't really what I was looking for…." Ritsu just wanted this to end, her brain was on the verge of shutting down on her from the sheer absurdity of it all.

Yui's frown returned. "You shouldn't Ricchan. Your troubles are ours as well. Don't keep it to yourself!"

"_Like I said_, I'm not troubled…" Ritsu felt her sanity wearing thinner.

"Let's overcome this together!"

"Wahhh! You got it all wrong….."

_That… is her way of caring… Yeah… _Azusa mused.

* * *

The five left school at their usual time. Of course, because of Yui's scheme, practice had once again been skipped over. However, Azusa held back her complaints; her two seniors and especially her president probably needed a good rest after the whole fiasco.

Having to explain something to someone who wasn't quite listening would surely be very tiring.

"And I brought all these for her too…" Yui whined as she lugged the large bag of random items. Every single one – the mining helmet, mini microphone, posters and others – had been exhausted in her grand plan to save her captain, but ultimately to no avail.

"Just forget it and bring them home Yui-senpai…" Azusa gave an exasperated sigh. She had just spent the past ten minutes of their walk together carefully explaining to her just why her plan did not and would not have worked. So far, only the first half of the explanation was actually sinking in.

"Azu-nyan…" Yui whined again, but this time there was a distinct and deeper sadness to her tone; unlike her usually childish sounding ones.

"Yeah?" Azusa turned and fixed her eyes on her senior attentively. Her plans today may have been just a bit hare brained, but it was definitely born out of her goodwill. The rather spectacular failure at actually resolving Ritsu's issue must have certainly made her even more worried.

"If Ricchan won't play the drums, then I will." The resolution in her voice had returned.

"Why?" Azusa raised an eyebrow.

"Ricchan is clearly troubled… she's in a… what's that again? It's not a spike, it's not a strike…" her answer began degrading into mutters and rambles, but Azusa caught her meaning.

"You mean a slump?" the younger girl completed her senior's thoughts.

Yui nodded enthusiastically in agreement. _Really, senpai; those words weren't even close…_

"That's why she wanted to try something different, I guess." Yui continued, finally revealing her initial thoughts on the entire issue. Azusa tried her best not to sigh; it would have been a lot easier to understand everything if Yui had just said that from the beginning. That would have definitely saved her from worrying about the older girl.

"So, me on the drums, playing behind you Azu-nyan!" the older girl grinned, and Azusa could not help but return with a warm smile of her own; such was Yui, caring and devoted in her own roundabout way. It may have been haphazard and rather weird, but it was all very noble; a child-like innocence radiated from those words of hers.

It may not have worked, but it was truly the thought that counted. That was what was most endearing about Yui.

"No you can't, senpai! I need you within my sights."

"Eh… why?" Yui whined again. Azusa quickly turned around to hide her growing grin and flushing cheeks.

* * *

Some distance away, the drummer and bassist were walking in total silence.

Yui's plan today had been rather time wasting, but it had given Mio the precious time she needed to sort out her thoughts somewhat. Even so, her mind was still a maelstrom of haphazard ideas and reasons.

_It's just about trying new things right? It's normal to be a little tired of doing the same things… But what if it's something deeper? Or it's just a whim?_

Mio kept her gaze fixed on the ground before her. Any of those reasons could have been equally plausible given Ritsu's nature. She certainly got bored easily, yet she did pick up drumming for the glory it had. It was what had sparked her first love for the percussion instrument, and even if Ritsu would not admit it, it surely must still hold some place in the way she viewed the drums. One did not simply forget things like that. But, she had refrained from asking about it; for fear that it would cause their relationship to grow even colder and more awkward than it already was. The last thing she needed was another factor complicating things between them.

Really, that little incident last year was more than enough.

_If I get it wrong…._

_No._ _This is Ritsu. My best friend. _The messy images returned again, but this time, she found enough strength to ignore them._ That's just selfish of me._

She could not simply stay silent anymore. If there was something really wrong with Ritsu… or even herself… she would never forgive herself for letting it just slip past her because of her cowardice. It was time to take action.

"Ritsu." Mio had stopped walking, and her eyes were glued to the back of the drummer's head, her gaze boring through the auburn locks. Her tone was low and controlled; it was not a request, it was an order, a demand. The drummer slowed to a halt.

"Ritsu. We need to talk."

Ritsu's mind began to race. _What? Had she found out or something? No, she couldn't have... Right? But… _Slowly, she turned to face the bassist, whose face was now pulled into a serious frown. She wanted to run, to simply give an excuse and just run to the safety of her home. Away from Mio, away from the source of all her frustration and pressure. For if Mio truly did find out, she did not want to hear a single word of it. Her hands shook in her pockets, and she could feel her face slowly heating up. Ritsu let out a low growl as her stomach began to twist and she clenched her teeth, trying to fight the overwhelming urge to just buckle and run.

_If I run now… I'd be a coward. And nothing will be resolved… _Raising her eyes to meet Mio's, she suppressed a gasp from the wave of terror that swept through her as she met the bassist's piercing gaze. Those normally diminished, grey eyes now held a hard, even slightly angry edge to them. Ritsu felt her gaze burning through her inner walls of her mind.

Like nothing could be hidden before those eyes anymore.

She chose the next safest option. "Talk about what?" Ritsu carefully raised an eyebrow, like how she always would, and made her tone light, like how she was used to doing. She noted the bitter taste in her mouth, despite it being empty. _Seeking solace in mock ignorance I see…_

"Today Ritsu. And yesterday." Was the terse reply.

She chose the next safest option again. "Ah… it's just, well… just wanted to try something new I guess." Ritsu shifted her eyes downwards.

"I know when you're lying Ritsu." The steel edge in the bassist's voice sharpened. Hazel eyes continued studying the cement pavement in silence.

Ritsu felt her tongue go limp. She knew that Mio would not stop digging for the truth; she had been cornered without any means of escape. The drummer cursed under her breath, knowing she was now caught between two very destructive decisions.

She could run and instantly end the interrogation. That was bound to cost her heavily for obvious reasons. It would be a blatant act of distrust; an act that would surely pierce Mio at her core. The image of a young, raven haired girl standing in front of another, the latter sitting in the sand and cradling her arm flashed across her mind. The feeling of that guilt of avenging her inner pride and attempting to tear Mio away from a new friend twice now weighed heavily in her chest. She felt that familiar abyss opening, feeding on her past regrets and fueling her guilt.

_What a useless knight… _The black hole grew wider. Her arms and legs began to feel numb.

She could come clean, and admit the exact reasons for her behaviour. However, that ran the risk of having to reveal something even more potentially damaging.

For there was one additional reason behind her little predicament the past two days. Yes, she picked up drumming out of all the instruments because it was cool, because it was less taxing on the fingers, because it would help her gain some glory.

But above all, she also picked it up because Mio had constantly supported her in doing so.

It wasn't that she was feeling lonely per se; she just wanted to prove herself skilled and useful for something. She wanted to simply have something to offer on the table, to make up for what little she had as a person. She wanted to have something she could call hers; uniqueness be damned, she just needed something to be her own niche. And when no one even knew that she was a drummer, the one thing she had built up her personal pride in; it simply meant that her entire avenue for proving herself worthy had collapsed.

_No, it didn't collapse, it never even existed. I was a bloody fool for believing that it did without checking. Shame on me, no? _Ritsu felt her chest tighten even more. She had since lost all feeling in her limbs. She wasn't even aware that she was shaking where she stood, or even if she was still standing.

_Was it wrong?_

She just wanted, more than ever, to be on equal footing with the girl who was currently trying to get at her very soul.

_Was it wrong?!_

Mio wasn't just a goddess at composition; she was good at everything. She had the grades, she had the perfect personality, the awesome knowledge of music, the athleticism and she definitely had looks. None of which Ritsu found herself to properly possess.

So while Mio had cruised through her education, gaining the silent adoration and admiration of many around her without even actively trying, Ritsu had been at the tail end, getting into petty scuffles with boys and girls alike, getting talked down by teachers regarding her academics and having to be constantly labeled as 'the-one-who-always-clings-to-Mio'. Knowing Yui, Mugi and Azusa – all who were skilled beyond her dreams in their own right – merely made the gap she felt even wider. She didn't feel lonely; she felt inadequate.

Mio may be shy and easily scared, but she was never the one who had her sense of self challenged all the time.

_Ritsu, why can't you study harder…?_

_Ritsu, don't be like that!_

_Mr Tainaka, your daughter is not measuring up…_

_Mrs Tainaka, your daughter's behaviour is troubling…_

_Ritsu, why can't you…._

_So I am stupid, un-lady like, useless, trouble-making or clingy? Or am I all of them? Maybe I am… Maybe I was destined to be useless from the beginning, to only hurt others from the start. _Ritsu's throat was unbearably tight, and she faintly noted that her nails were digging into her palms.

A soft touch on her cheek jolted Ritsu out of her thoughts. She felt her head being gently tilted upwards. Her eyes found themselves looking into a pair of grey ones filled with fear and pain; tears flowing out of them. It was only then Ritsu realized that her own cheeks had been stained with her tears.

"Ritsu…" Mio choked out in a whisper, herself shaking slightly. Ritsu just let her tears flow freely, too exhausted to even fight them back.

"I-I just wanted… to be a better person…" the tears poured out even more. Mio kept silent.

"I just wanted… t-to be good enough… like you… was t-that wrong?" Ritsu gritted her teeth as she growled out the words, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. She tasted the salty tears in her mouth, but she could not care less; her entire being just hurt too much.

"Y-you are good Ritsu…"

"No!" Ritsu growled again. "I-I only cause trouble… I'll never be… good… enough…" the tears had begun to stop, but her chest still ached badly. The drummer began inhaling deeply and regulating her breathing; she took in and expelled air in ragged breaths. The shaking eased slightly. However, the black hole still swirled mightily; all Ritsu could feel was weighted bitterness and angry despair as her thoughts went into an almost hysteric state.

Then, Ritsu felt herself surrounded by warmth, and her eyes were now obscured by a familiar darkness. The scent of lavender entered her nose; Ritsu instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Mio, clinging to that warmth for dear life. Mio's arms were around her waist and back, pushing the drummer into the crook of her neck and against the taller girl's torso. Her left hand patted the drummer gently on her back, and with each stroke slowly soothed the shorter girl out of her emotional wreck. She rested her cheek on Ritsu's head, letting the pleasant smell of her shampoo waft into her nose and enjoyed the softness of her hair.

_I am here Ritsu… Please believe me… It hurts so much to see you like this… So please don't feel that you're weak…_

Ritsu planted her face into Mio's shoulder and neck, nuzzling the bassist and slowly taking in her scent. The shaking died down, and as Ritsu found her solace in the warmth of her friend, she felt the black abyss in her mind swirl less and less. Her tears were almost dried, and a small peace began to replace that tight feeling in her chest.

Mio spoke barely above a whisper, completely ignoring the fact that they were still on the street; it was one of the more secluded streets they pass through on their way home and thus had near zero human traffic.

"You don't need to prove yourself to me Ritsu. You are good, better than you think." her voice was hushed, but even. The drummer did not reply nor move from the hug; she stood silently, clamping herself to Mio. The taller girl continued to rub her back. Ritsu sighed a little.

"You're cheerful Ritsu. Happy. You're very imaginative. And you are always brave and determined."

"But most of all, you are always a good friend to me. You are the best friend I have." The grip around Mio tightened at the last sentence; the bassist felt a stream of warm air tickling her neck as the drummer let out an aggravated sigh. She felt her cheeks colour yet again; suddenly aware of how intimate their hug had been.

"Mio…" Ritsu whispered, her voice hushed and words fearful. "Don't leave me behind… Even… friends leave each other behind…"

"I won't Ritsu. Just like you never leaving me." The drummer, however, pulled her head from its resting spot and met Mio's eyes; her arms slid down from the bassist's shoulders and stopped to clasp her hands. Mio's felt more blood rush to her head; Ritsu's motion had been slow and delicate, as if she was tracing a thin line down her arms, as if she had been savouring the contact. She had released Ritsu from the hug in response; but now she found herself unable to look the drummer in the eye.

Her words had sounded so much like a confession that it scared her. Her hands were still clasped in Ritsu's which prevented her from backing away; something which she might have done in reflex. Her heart had since begun to race and was pounding against her ribs; her stomach felt warm, and she could feel her throat coiling slightly. All those images had returned, and she found herself wanting Ritsu to feel her arms again, she wanted to step closer to the drummer and hold her face. She wanted to stroke her hair, hell she just wanted to push her back onto the nearby wall and lock her there with her body.

The whole air around them felt so stressed and uncertain, she didn't know whether to respond or run.

Mio felt her head tilted upwards, Ritsu's fingers gently holding her head in place. Both had uncertainty and fear in their eyes; Mio could barely dare to maintain the eye contact and Ritsu had her brows furrowed and mouth in a thin line. The drummer's cheeks too were tinted, and the fingers that held her chin were trembling. And just for a moment, Mio felt that what she had been feeling all this while was shared by the one just mere inches from her. She recalled the action that had haunted her for so long.

_Is… this? Do I…? Could it be…?_

She was at a loss of what to do. Her legs were rooted to the spot out of fear than actual numbness. What was Ritsu thinking of…? She couldn't have been thinking about the same thing she herself was; she was certain the drummer had fallen asleep back then.

_She was asleep… right?_

Ritsu on the other hand, now was determined to find out the truth, to give some ease to the haunting conclusion that had plagued her all day. Regardless of it being proven true or false, she just wanted to get an answer. Then it would at least help to bring this entire fiasco to an end.

They said that bravery was being willing to look at what you feared straight in the eye right?

"Look Mio, I know this is unrelated… but there's something I need to clarify…" The bassist gulped hard. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Back last year when we fought about Nodoka…" her heartbeat echoed deafeningly in her ears.

"You…" Ritsu's fingers left Mio's chin and drifted towards her own cheeks; the drummer tapped her right cheek twice, not daring to complete her question verbally. The hazel eyes of her had shifted to inspect the ground yet another time, and her lips were set in a hard line as she frowned, determined to look away from Mio as she indicated her inquiry.

Mio jerked, and desperately tried to pull herself away; to wrench herself free from Ritsu like a wild beast caught in a net. The question was her death sentence; it would be the final nail in the coffin for her if she did not escape. Her face was completely red now, and she could feel the rush of blood through her temples as she panicked; trying to twist her arm free of the drummer's grip. But Ritsu was strong, so strong; despite being taller the bassist found herself unable to break free. As her mind blew itself into a frenzy, trying to calculate her best course of action, she felt herself being yanked into an awkward hug.

"Mio, Mio! Look it's okay! I don't mind!" Ritsu yelled at the top of her lungs, fighting to keep the Mio still. The bassist paused in her maddened struggle; her mind frozen as it processed the newest input.

_Don't mind? _

_She… doesn't mind?_

"Just… I really… don't mind." Ritsu breathed out. Both girls for the umpteenth time decided to shift their gazes away.

"S-so please, Mio. Please… don't leave…me behind…" This time, Mio wasn't the only one whose face had turned a new shade of red.

It took a long while before the two could get to sleep that night. Mio lulled herself into slumber by plugging in to her music player. Ritsu stubbornly decided to sift through her old DVD's of her favourite band: The Who.

Drums were still much cooler looking, Ritsu concluded.

* * *

"Ta-da! Looks like it's only the drums for me guys." Ritsu proclaimed loudly as she sat behind her cymbals once again. The rest of her band mates gave her warm smiles; glad that their president was back in her zone and cheery once again.

"I thought so, seeing how you watched Keith Moon last night and nearly made us late." Mio chuckled; the irritation at having to sprint to school in the early morning long gone. Ritsu stuck her tongue out at the bassist, who naturally paid no heed.

_Looks like they're back to normal as well… _Azusa thought as she watched her two seniors intently, relieved that the period of tension and worry was now over. Still, she found it disconcerting that Mugi was smiling a bit too widely.

"Well, even if only my legs can be seen or if there's no spotlight I don't really mind." Her band mates gave her curious glances; with the exception of Mio, who simply gave a warm smile.

"Yep, because the drums are truly only for Ricchan!" Yui chirped. "Y'know, whenever I look back to ready myself to play, and you do that countdown with your sticks, it really gets me pumped!" the guitarist raised a fist into the air in affirmation.

Ritsu could only stare at Yui in wonder; that something as simple as giving a count could have motivated her. Mio's words the day before rang clear in the drummer's head.

_Ritsu, you are really much better than you think._

"And, thanks to you Ricchan, I've learned something important too…" Yui's grin grew even wider in excitement.

"We are all part of a band, but what we see and know are different. We all have our own places and are different, but…"

Ritsu piped in, "… it is when we play that we are one!" Yui nodded in agreement, lips drawn into a graceful and cheery smile. Ritsu returned with an equally excited grin of her own.

"And whenever I sit here, banging on the drums and hearing you guys play as I watch your backs…" Ritsu gripped her sticks tight. "I just love it!" The drummer exclaimed in glee.

Now, Tainaka Ritsu was sure that she had finally found her niche and her use. And Mio could only give her a big warm smile.

* * *

**And there we go! Really, I was shocked when this one turned out so long. And I will admit that about 60% of this was written past midnight. So forgive me if there is anything that you find bad.  
**

**Personally I really loved writing this chapter; absolutely had a ton of fun planning out the Jakka Jan part xD Tried to add a little bit more humour into this one, hopefully that turns out well. Perhaps my writing may be a bit lackluster here since I am writing and editing it at nearly 4 am.**

**And yes I decided to give Ritsu a ponytail and collarbone... um. Preference.  
**

**Also, the part where Ritsu tries the guitar, it was based on my first time trying to play the guitar. Love the instrument still. **

**Thank you for reading! Do leave a review and tell me your opinion! ^^**

**JAKKA JAN.**


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